Every year on May 31, the world comes together to commemorate World No Tobacco Day. The World Health Organization (WHO) has been spearheading a global campaign to promote healthier lives and raise public awareness of the risks associated with tobacco use.

Theme: ‘Unmasking the Appeal: Exposing Industry Tactics on Tobacco and Nicotine Products’ is the theme for this year's celebration. It focuses on opposing the tobacco and nicotine businesses' deceptive marketing tactics.

History and Significance: The WHO initiated this day in 1987. In 1988, the first official observance took place. The day provides an effective forum for educating people about public health. With over 8 million fatalities annually, tobacco use is one of the world's top preventable causes of death.

Aim: The day inspires governments, organizations, and people to encourage quitting smoking and shield future generations from the negative effects of tobacco on their health, the economy, and the environment.

Deceptive marketing: To conceal the harshness of tobacco and increase its palatability, particularly among youth, tobacco companies are always on the run for ways to add flavors and other chemicals that change the aroma, taste, or appearance of these products.

Here are some of the health hazards of smoking: (Source: Cleveland Clinic)

  • Impact on fertility: For both men and women, smoking has a detrimental effect on reproductive health and considerably reduces fertility.
  • Lung illnesses: This encompasses pulmonary fibrosis, asthma, TB, and COPD.
  • Cardiac Ailments: Heart attacks, strokes, or heart failure may result from these.
  • Eye complications: This covers blindness, macular degeneration, cataracts, and vision loss.
  • Present-at-birth conditions: These include congenital abnormalities (birth defects) and low birth weight in children born to pregnant women who smoked.
  • Miscarriages.
  • Diabetes type 2.
  • Autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
  • Erectile dysfunction.
  • Cancer and smoking: Smoking causes, as well as increases the risk for multiple types of cancer. It can cause or increase your risk for:
  1. Kidney cancer
  2. Laryngeal cancer and other throat cancers
  3. Liver cancer
  4. Lung cancer
  5. Acute myeloid leukemia
  6. Pancreatic cancer
  7. Stomach cancer
  8. Bladder cancer
  9. Cervical cancer
  10. Colorectal cancer
  11. Oral cancer

As per the WHO data, currently:

  • Over 50 countries ban flavoured tobacco.
  • More than 40 countries ban e-cigarette sales; 5 specifically ban disposables, and 7 ban e-cigarette flavours; and
  • Flavour accessories remain largely unregulated.

Dr Rüdiger Krech, WHO Director of Health Promotion’s message on this day: We are watching a generation get hooked on nicotine through gummy bear-flavoured pouches and rainbow-coloured vapes. This isn’t innovation, it’s manipulation. And we must stop it.