World No Tobacco Day
World No Tobacco Day is observed around the world every year on May 31. It is meant to encourage a 24-hour period of abstinence from all forms of tobacco consumption across the globe. The day is further intended to draw global attention to the widespread prevalence of tobacco use and to negative health effects, which currently lead to deaths worldwide annually. The member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) created World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) in 1987. In the past twenty years, the day has been met with both enthusiasm and resistance across the globe from governments, public health organizations, smokers, growers, and the tobacco industry.
History Of Day
Flag of the World Health Organization
World No Tobacco Day is one of many other world health awareness days throughout the year organized by the WHO, including World Mental Health Day, World AIDS Day, and World Blood Donor Day, among others.
In 1987, the World Health Assembly of the WHO passed Resolution WHA40.38, calling for April 7, 1988 to be "A world no-smoking day". April 7, 1988 was the 40th anniversary of the WHO. The objective of the day was to urge tobacco users worldwide to abstain from using tobacco products for 24 hours, an action they hoped would provide assistance for those trying to quit.
In 1988, Resolution WHA42.19 was passed by the World Health Assembly, calling for the celebration of World No Tobacco Day, every year on May 31. Since then, the WHO has supported World No Tobacco Day every year, linking each year to a different tobacco-related theme.In 1998, the WHO established the Tobacco Free Initiative (TFI), an attempt to focus international resources and attention on the global health epidemic of tobacco. The initiative provides assistance for creating global public health policy, encourages mobilization across societies, and supports the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).The WHO FCTC is a global public health treaty adopted in 2003 by countries across the globe as an agreement to implement policies that work towards tobacco cessation.
In 1987, the World Health Assembly of the WHO passed Resolution WHA40.38, calling for April 7, 1988 to be "A world no-smoking day". April 7, 1988 was the 40th anniversary of the WHO. The objective of the day was to urge tobacco users worldwide to abstain from using tobacco products for 24 hours, an action they hoped would provide assistance for those trying to quit.
In 1988, Resolution WHA42.19 was passed by the World Health Assembly, calling for the celebration of World No Tobacco Day, every year on May 31. Since then, the WHO has supported World No Tobacco Day every year, linking each year to a different tobacco-related theme.In 1998, the WHO established the Tobacco Free Initiative (TFI), an attempt to focus international resources and attention on the global health epidemic of tobacco. The initiative provides assistance for creating global public health policy, encourages mobilization across societies, and supports the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).The WHO FCTC is a global public health treaty adopted in 2003 by countries across the globe as an agreement to implement policies that work towards tobacco cessation.
Themes
Each year, the WHO selects a theme for the day in order to create a more unified global message for WNTD. This theme then becomes the central component of the WHO’s tobacco-related agenda for the following year.The WHO oversees the creation and distribution of publicity materials related to the theme, including brochures, fliers, posters, websites, and press releases.Themes of previous years are in
2016 Get ready for plain packaging
2015 Stop illicit trade of tobacco products
2014 Raise taxes on tobacco
2013 Ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship
2012 Tobacco Industry Interference
2011 The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
2010 Gender and tobacco with an emphasis on marketing to women
2009 Tobacco health warnings
2008 Tobacco-free youth
2007 Smoke free inside
2006 Tobacco: deadly in any form or disguise
2005 Health professionals against tobacco
2004 Tobacco and poverty, a vicious circle
2003 Tobacco free film, tobacco free fashion
2002 Tobacco free sports
2001 Second-hand smoke kills
2000 Tobacco kills, don't be duped
1999 Leave the pack behind
1998 Growing up without tobacco
1997 United for a tobacco free world
1996 Sport and art without tobacco: play it tobacco free
1995 Tobacco costs more than you think
1994 Media and tobacco: get the message across
1993 Health services: our windows to a tobacco free world
1992 Tobacco free workplaces: safer and healthier
1991 Public places and transport: better be tobacco free
1990 Childhood and youth without tobacco: growing up without tobacco
1989 Women and tobacco: the female smoker: at added risk
1988 Tobacco or Health: choose health
2015 Stop illicit trade of tobacco products
2014 Raise taxes on tobacco
2013 Ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship
2012 Tobacco Industry Interference
2011 The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
2010 Gender and tobacco with an emphasis on marketing to women
2009 Tobacco health warnings
2008 Tobacco-free youth
2007 Smoke free inside
2006 Tobacco: deadly in any form or disguise
2005 Health professionals against tobacco
2004 Tobacco and poverty, a vicious circle
2003 Tobacco free film, tobacco free fashion
2002 Tobacco free sports
2001 Second-hand smoke kills
2000 Tobacco kills, don't be duped
1999 Leave the pack behind
1998 Growing up without tobacco
1997 United for a tobacco free world
1996 Sport and art without tobacco: play it tobacco free
1995 Tobacco costs more than you think
1994 Media and tobacco: get the message across
1993 Health services: our windows to a tobacco free world
1992 Tobacco free workplaces: safer and healthier
1991 Public places and transport: better be tobacco free
1990 Childhood and youth without tobacco: growing up without tobacco
1989 Women and tobacco: the female smoker: at added risk
1988 Tobacco or Health: choose health