Observe World No Tobacco Day Every May 31

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World No Tobacco Day, as the name suggests, is a day encouraging everyone to avoid all tobacco products for 24 hours.

This means no:

• Cigarettes or cigars
• Pipes
• Chewing tobacco
• Snuff
• Snus
• Other products containing any tobacco, like bidis or gutkha.

 

The day is an initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO). It began as World No Smoking Day on April 7, 1988, which was also the 40th anniversary of WHO.

In 1988 the date for the day changed to May 31 and the name changed to World No Tobacco Day.

 

Why World No Tobacco Day?

To increase awareness of the dangers or smoking (and of other tobacco products).

You might think this is beating a dead horse. After all everyone must know by now, right?

Surely smoking rates are going down?

Wrong.

Don’t believe it?

A 2011 report by WHO concluded that “tobacco use continues to be the leading global cause of preventable death. It kills nearly 6 million people … each year.”

The 2017 WHO report shows some progress since then. More countries have created policies to protect their people & help them quit. But the news is not all good. Tobacco is still one of the top causes of preventable deaths. It now kills around 7 million people each year.

Even if they’ve heard the words, seen the ads, many people don’t really believe it will happen to them. Others don’t realize all the health problems smoking can cause. They may know about lung cancer, but they don’t know it can cause heart disease or strokes.

Still others may understand the dangers but keep smoking anyway. Many believe they lack the willpower to quit. And it’s true, willpower alone isn’t enough for many people.

Often it takes years, and a combination of counseling and medications, before a smoker successfully becomes an ex-smoker.

And in many parts of the world tobacco companies can still advertise their products as glamorous. They target young people, to get them to start smoking and become addicted.

Learn more about tobacco, it’s health effects and what kinds of initiatives work to reduce smoking in the WHO’s tobacco fact sheet.

 

World No Tobacco Day Themes

Each year WHO chooses a theme for that year’s campaign. This helps create a unified message for the day. WHO also creates brochures, websites and other materials with the year’s theme.

The first year’s theme, in 1988, was “Tobacco or Health: choose health.”

Recent themes:

• 2020: Protecting youth from industry manipulation and preventing them from tobacco and nicotine use
• 2019: Tobacco and lung health
• 2018: Tobacco and heart disease
• 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

 

You can see all the annual themes on the WHO website. The page includes links to more information on themes from 2000 on.

Scroll down for some ideas on celebrating this tobacco-free unofficial holiday.

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How to Observe World No Tobacco Day

Communities around the world organize events for the day, from letter writing campaigns to educational programming and public debates.

See if there is one that interests you nearby.

If you smoke (or use other tobacco products), use the day to vow to quit. Find resources to help:

• Smokefree.gov offers a variety of resources, including how to make a Quit Plan, eating healthier and finding the quitting method that’s right for you.
• The North American Quitline Consortium’s Quitline Map helps you find telephone-based coaching and referrals to local resources near you. Just click on your state to find phone numbers, services offered and more in your state.
• The Mayo Clinic’s Quit-smoking medicines: Boost your chance of success is a good overview of the different kinds of medications you can try. It includes both pros and cons of each, so you can make an informed decision.
• Complementary Health Approaches for Smoking Cessation offers a discussion of using things like meditation, yoga or acupuncture to help you quit smoking. Although these things probably won’t work on their own, they may help boost the success of other methods.
• Members of the military and their families can find support and resources at UCanQuit2.
• SmokefreeWomen offers information and support for women who want to quit smoking.

Researchers are often looking for volunteers in their smoking cessation clinical trials. See if there’s one that might suit you.

If friends or family members use tobacco, use the day to encourage them to quit. Don’t badger them, of course. That rarely turns out well! But have a conversation and focus on your concern for their health and well-being. Read Helping a Smoker Quit: Do’s and Don’ts for ideas.

 

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