Every year, on 31 May, WHO and global partners celebrate World No Tobacco Day (WNTD). In 2019, WNTD will focus on "tobacco and lung health".
Tobacco smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke increase the risk of contracting many diseases. For instance, active and passive smoking affect the health of people’s lungs in multiple ways:
Furthermore, children exposed to second-hand smoke are at higher risk of developing frequent lower-respiratory infections and have a higher risk of suffering the onset and exacerbation of asthma, pneumonia and bronchitis. The link between tobacco smoking and tuberculosis (TB) is also well established, showing that the chemical components of tobacco smoke can trigger latent infections of TB. Smoking can also increase the risk of disability and death from respiratory failure in people with active TB.
The campaign for WNTD aims to increase awareness about the particular dangers of tobacco smoke to lung health and the fundamental role the lungs play in the health and well-being of all people. It also focuses on raising awareness of cost-effective and feasible actions that key audiences, including governments and the public, can take to reduce the risks to lung health posed by tobacco. These actions include tobacco control measures outlined in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) such as raising tobacco taxes, implementing smoke-free policies, supporting people to quit, raising awareness through mass media and enforcing bans on all forms of promotion. Full implementation of the WHO FCTC and other tobacco control measures will improve population health and well-being, and save lives.
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