WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY

World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is observed around the world every year on May 31. It is intended to encourage a 24-hour period of abstinence from all forms of tobacco consumption around the globe.

The day is further intended to draw attention to the widespread prevalence of tobacco use and to negative health effects, which currently lead to nearly 6 million deaths each year worldwide, including 600,000 of which are the results of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke. The member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) created World No Tobacco Day in 1987. In the past twenty nine years, the day has been met with both enthusiasm and resistance around the globe from governments, public health organizations, smokers, growers, and the tobacco industry. (Wikipedia).

Every year, on 31 May, WHO and partners everywhere mark World No Tobacco Day (WNTD), highlighting the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. The ultimate goal of WNTD is to contribute to protecting present and future generations not only from the devastating health consequences due to tobacco, but also from the social, environmental and economic scourges of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke. The WHO WNTD theme in 2015 was “stop illicit trade of tobacco products”. Illicit trade in tobacco products refers to any practice or conduct prohibited by law which relates to producing, shipping, receiving, possessing, distributing, selling, or buying tobacco products. One in every 10 cigarettes, and many other tobacco products, consumed worldwide are illegal, making the illicit trade of tobacco products a major global concern from many perspectives, including health, legal, economic, governance and corruption.Several Pacific Island countries opted to observe this theme  while others focused on other aspects of tobacco control. Government programs and civil society observed WNTD with a customary unique and creative flair. This booklet is an effort to capture a bit of the WNTD 2015 flavor.(WNTD 2015)