Published : 02 Dec 2021, 16:42

World No Tobacco Day Observed: 31 May

We all are somehow familiar with the phrases of precaution like, “Tobacco causes cancer” or “Tobacco consumption is injurious to health” or “Tobacco kills”.  However, not too many of the world’s population has been reported to receive this message seriously. According to a recent annual report of the World Health Organization (WHO), around 8 million deaths are caused by tobacco consumption every year. In Bangladesh, approximately 161,200 people die due to various diseases caused by tobacco consumption. With a strong view to create and spread awareness against tobacco use and its dreadful health effects, WHO declared 31st May to be observed as the “World No Tobacco Day” every year. The majority of tobacco users claim that it could not be possible to quit smoking despite being aware of the harmful effects. 

The “World No Tobacco Day” objectives critically include helping and motivating smokers worldwide in their attempt to quit tobacco smoking. Different awareness-raising workshops, seminars, discussion sessions are arranged every year in this regard. Posters, banners, festoons, cartoons are some of the popular forms of illustrations that are presented. In 2021, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the day was observed with even more importance through digital platforms through virtual discussions and webinars. Every year, a specific theme or tagline is used to emphasize the necessity of giving up this lethal habit. This year’s slogan was “Commit to quit”, and it portrayed how smokers are affecting not only their own lives but also their surrounding near and dear ones with the ill effects of passive smoking. The risk of getting affected with coronavirus is way higher for smokers than non-smokers, along with the risks of developing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, which eventually lead to death; caused by chronic lung cancer, oral cancer, stroke, or heart failure. The harmful substance named nicotine present in tobacco is responsible for most of the health hazards. 

“World No Tobacco Day” thus aims to involve all classes of people, both smokers and non-smokers, so that all of them can get the same platform to understand the hazardous health effects, learn how to make an initial attempt in quitting smoking, how others can help and motivate the smokers in the stressful process of quitting and healing.



Fighting Cancer Desk
Fighting Cancer Desk