The World No Tobacco Day was established by the member states of the World Health Assembly (WHA) in 1987 to highlight the tobacco epidemic and the preventable deaths and illnesses it causes. In 1987, the World Health Assembly adopted resolution WHA 40.30 designating April 7, 1988 as World No Tobacco Day. In 1988, resolution WHA 42.19 was adopted, designating May 31 of each year as World No Tobacco Day.

These celebrations are intended to inform the community about the dangers of tobacco use, the marketing practices of tobacco companies, the steps the WHO is taking to fight the tobacco epidemic, and what individuals around the world can do to claim their right to wellness and a healthy life and to protect future generations.

Why the theme “Commit to Quit”?

Tobacco causes approximately 8 million deaths each year. It has been reported that smokers are more likely to develop a serious disease with COVID-19. The pandemic has led many smokers to quit. Quitting smoking can be difficult, especially given the combined societal and monetary pressure of the pandemic, but there are many motivations for quitting.

The benefits of quitting smoking are practically instantaneous.

Only 20 minutes after quitting, the heart rate drops. Within 12 hours, carbon monoxide levels in the blood return to normal. Circulation and lung function improve within two to twelve weeks. In one to nine months, coughing and shortness of breath diminish. Over five to 15 years, the risk of stroke is reduced to that of a non-smoker. By ten years, the lung cancer death rate is almost equal to that of a smoker. After 15 years, the risk of heart disease is the same as that of a non-smoker.

If that is not enough, here are some other justifications. It is never too late to stop smoking even if someone has already developed smoking-related health problems. If they quit smoking at the age of 30, they can gain up to ten years of life expectancy.

At around 40, they can gain nine years of life expectancy. At nearly 50, they can gain six years. 60-years-old people can gain three years if they stop smoking. People who quit smoking even after having a heart attack have 50-percent less chance of having another heart attack.

Quitting smoking also reduces the risk of many secondhand smoke-related illnesses in children, including respiratory diseases such as asthma and ear infections. In addition, it reduces the risk of impotence, difficulty in conceiving a child, premature birth, low birth weight and miscarriage.

Sources: Smoke Free World, World Health Organization, Pan American Health Organization