Why 'World No Tobacco Day' is observed

World No Tobacco Day (also popularly known as World Tobacco Day, and Anti Tobacco Day) is observed worldwide on 31st May every year to encourage tobacco users to abstain from consumption of all forms of tobacco for a period of 24 hours. World Tobacco Day was initiated in the year 1987, when the World Health Assembly (WHA) of World Health Organization (WHO) passed a resolution WHA40.38 which ultimately formed World No Tobacco Day (WNTD). The primary objective of WNTD was to enlighten people about the deadly components of tobacco and its repercussions.

World No Tobacco Day is ardently supported by governments, individuals, non-profit organizations, public health organizations, tobacco industry and even smokers. Tobacco Day is celebrated as an awareness day to draw people’s attention about the negative effects of tobacco. Seminars and events on World Tobacco Day are organized by health organizations and governments while emphasizing on punch lines and pictures to persuade people to quit consuming tobacco permanently. Creating and distributing brochures, posters, fliers, press releases, websites and videos are also considered an integral part of the World No Tobacco Day.

Each year, on this day, the WHO chooses a theme for the day that carries global messages to quit smoking. Many of the themes are intended to reveal facts about tobacco which is usually believed to perplex or mislead people by the tobacco industry through advertisements. Because of such reasons, WHO declared a complete ban on tobacco advertising on May 31, 2008.

Opinions differ on celebration of World Tobacco Day 2011. For many, WNTD is a challenge to create a tobacco free society. On the contrary, some consider it as a futile effort to curb smoking. However, WHO in January 2011, has selected ‘The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control’ as the theme of Tobacco Day 2011 which is considered the world’s primary tobacco curbing instrument.

World No Tobacco Day 2011 will be celebrated on Tuesday, 31st May. On this specific day, various health organizations, governments and World Health Organization exhibit the latest tobacco-related information and research to create awareness among the public. Also, the WHO presents awards to individuals or organizations that have performed exceptionally performed or contributed to reducing the consumption of tobacco.

In India, World No Tobacco Day is celebrated with in varied ways with great zeal. Health organizations, government and Groups organize camps and events on this occasion to apprise people of early death and other ill-effects of consuming tobacco.