World No Tobacco Day - May 31
aims to draw attention to the business practices of tobacco companies to capture generations of consumers and their interference in policy decisions that undermine effective tobacco control.
It serves to highlight what WHO is doing to fight the tobacco epidemic that kills up to half its users and contributes to more than eight million people dying every year, and what people can do to protect future generations and allow everyone the chance to claim their right to health.
WHO and public health champions from across the globe will come together to raise awareness about the harmful influences of the tobacco industry on youth.
World No Tobacco Day was created in 1987 by Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise awareness of the harms caused by tobacco products to people, public health, communities and the environment.
WHY THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY IS TARGETING YOUTH:
To keep making billions of dollars in revenues, the tobacco industry needs to replace the millions of customers who die and those who quit tobacco use every year.
To achieve this goal, it works to create an environment that promotes uptake of its products among the next generation, including lax regulation to ensure its products are available and affordable.
The industry also develops products and advertising tactics that appeal to children and adolescents, reaching them through social media and streaming platforms.
Products such as electronic cigarettes and nicotine pouches are gaining popularity among youth.
It is estimated that 12.5% of adolescents in the European Region used e-cigarettes in 2022 compared to 2% of adults.
In some countries of the Region, the rates of e-cigarette use among school children are 2-3 times higher than the rates of cigarette smoking.
The industry willfully sells a deadly dependency to young people, therefore WNTD 2024 calls on the governments and tobacco control community to protect current and future generations and to hold the tobacco industry liable for the harm it causes.
TOBACCO PRODUCTION& CONSUMPTION IN INDIA:
"India is the world's second largest producer of tobacco, producing about 800 million kg annually.
About 6 million farmers and 20 million farm laborers work in tobacco farming across 15 States (Central Tobacco Research Institute).
Over 1.3 million deaths are attributable to tobacco use every year amounting to 3500 deaths per day, imposing a lot of avoidable socio-economic burdens.
THEME OF WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY:
2024: "Tobacco harms the environment" 2023: "Protect the environment, prevent tobacco" 2022: "Tobacco: Threat to our environment" 2021: "Commit to quit"
" As per the WHO study titled "Economic Costs of Diseases and Deaths Attributable to Tobacco Use in India" it has been estimated that the economic burden of diseases and deaths attributable to tobacco use of tobacco in India was as high as Rs. 1.77 lakh crores, amounting to approx 1 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The theme of World No Tobacco Day 2024 is "Protecting children from tobacco industry interference" to protect future generations and ensure that tobacco use continues to decline.
This year, attention is directed towards the alarming trend of the tobacco industry's targeted marketing towards youth.
Through extensive social media and streaming platform campaigns, young people are increasingly exposed to the allure of tobacco products, posing a significant threat to their health and welI-being.
Country surveys consistently show that children aged 13-15 years in most countries are using tobacco and nicotine products.
Smoking among youth remains prevalent and is increasing in certain nations.
More than 38 million young people aged between 13 and 15 are using some form of tobacco.
In 2022, scenes featuring tobacco increased by 110% in popular recent shows among 15 to 24-year-olds, often portraying smoking as glamorous and cool.
According to Truth Initiative young people are up to 3x more likely to start vaping when exposed to smoking imagery on screen.
