World No Tobacco Day

May 31 "World No Tobacco Day" is celebrated around the world.

About this day
This yearly celebration informs the public on the dangers of using tobacco, the business practices of tobacco companies, what WHO is doing to fight the tobacco epidemic, and what people around the world can do to claim their right to health and healthy living and to protect future generations.The Member States of the World Health Organization created World No Tobacco Day in 1987 to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable death and disease it causes. In 1987, the World Health Assembly passed Resolution WHA40.38, calling for 7 April 1988 to be a "a world no-smoking day." In 1988, Resolution WHA42.19 was passed, calling for the celebration of World No Tobacco Day, every year on 31 May

Observance of "World No Tobacco day"
Today, World No Tobacco Day is also celebrated across the globe. This day is celebrated on May 31 at the call of the World Health Organization to minimize the damage caused by Tobacco and controlling tobacco products.

Did you know? In Nepal, more than 25,000 people die every year due to tobacco. One out of every 10 adults in the world dies prematurely due to Tobacco.

The slogan of the 2024 World No Tobacco Day is Protect the environment.
This year's theme – Protecting children from tobacco industry interference – highlights a critical battleground. Despite significant progress, millions of young people remain vulnerable, with a staggering 37 million aged 13–15 years using some form of tobacco globally. However, there is hope.Around 3.5 million hectares of land are destroyed for tobacco growing each year. Growing tobacco contributes to deforestation, especially in the developing world. of Deforestation for tobacco plantations promotes soil degradation and “failing yields” or the capacity for the land to support the growth of any other crops or vegetation.

“The environmental impacts of tobacco using adds unnecessary pressure to our planet’s already scarce resources and fragile ecosystems. This is especially dangerous for developing countries, as that’s where most of the tobacco production happens.” said Dr Ruediger Krech, Director of Health Promotion, “Every cigarette you smoke, you are literally burning resources where they are already scarce, burning resources where our very existence depends upon.”The environmental burden falls on countries least able to cope with it, the profits are made by transnational tobacco companies that are based in higher-income countries.

Wish you all a healthy life!!!

-Suyog Dhakal