May 31st is World No Tobacco Day.
Started in 1987 by the World Health Assembly, the World No Tobacco Day is intended to draw attention around the globe to the dangers of smoking and its lethal history.
With tobacco use the second leading cause of death across the globe – beaten only by hypertension – smoking causes one in ten adults to die worldwide. The annual death toll from global tobacco use is predicted to rise to 8 million by 2030. Having killed 100 million people during the 20th century, tobacco use could kill 1 billion during the 21st century.
The World Health Organization celebrates No Tobacco Day to highlight the health risks of smoking and to advocate for effective policies that help reduce cigarette use for everyone.
This year’s theme is “The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control” and it’s designed to demonstrate the importance of the world’s foremost tobacco control instrument – the first treaty ever negotiated by WHO. In force only since 2005, the WHO FCTC is already one of the most widely embraced and rapidly moving treaties with more than 170 participants. It reaffirms the right of all people to the highest standard of health and provides legal cooperation around worldwide tobacco control.
