While looking at the World Health Organization's website researching malnutrition with my daughter for a school project, I discovered that this Saturday is World No Tobacco Day.
After my father's death from complications following surgery for esophegeal cancer back in 1990, each year I "celebrated" the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout by writing a relative or friend who was addicted to nicotine a letter encouraging them to give up tobacco for a day and to attempt to quit smoking. It was my way of remembering my father and helping others at the same time. (The ACS day on 11/17 is just five days from my dad's birthday on 11/22 so the connection seemed natural.)
Here are the details on the WHO's World No Tobacco Day. For further information on this and other international health topics, visit their website.
World No Tobacco Day
Theme: TOBACCO-FREE YOUTH
31 May
On 31st May each year WHO celebrates World No Tobacco Day, highlighting the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocating for effective policies to reduce consumption. Tobacco use is the second cause of death globally and is currently responsible for killing one in 10 adults worldwide.
The theme of World No Tobacco Day 2008 is Tobacco-Free Youth. Young people are aggressively targeted by the tobacco industry which spends billions of dollars each year marketing its products. To protect the world's youth from experimenting with tobacco and becoming regular users, this year's World No Tobacco Day campaign calls for a ban on all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
WHO created World No Tobacco Day in 1987 to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and its lethal effects. Tobacco is the number one preventable epidemic that the health community faces.
Related links
- World No Tobacco Day site
- WHO's Tobacco Free Initiative
- More about tobacco abuse and control
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