No Tobacco Day 2024
Hello, and welcome to this article, which will help you understand all about World No-Tobacco Day 2024. As many of you might know, but for those who don’t, World Tobacco Day is celebrated on May 31st of every year. This day is all about saying no to tobacco and promoting a no-tobacco yet healthier world for every individual. Let’s start by discovering this day’s history, theme, and importance in this blog.
The Story Behind the Origin
World No-Tobacco Day began in 1987 when the World Health Organization (WHO) took an initiative against the rising use of tobacco. This was done to raise awareness and understanding about the adverse effects of smoking and help people move towards a better and healthier life. Therefore, it was decided that May 31st of every year would be known as World No-Tobacco Day. Since then, this has been celebrated as No Tobacco Day in India.
The Importance of a Smoke-Free World
Every year, World No-Tobacco Day has a different theme that highlights various areas of tobacco problems in individuals. These themes help individuals quit smoking and live a life free of smoke and several serious ailments caused by smoking. The past few years have seen themes like ‘Tobacco and Lung Health’, ‘Tobacco breaks hearts’, etc. These themes tell people about the life-changing yet damaging facts and effects of tobacco and how it’s the best thing to avoid/quit smoking.
What is the World No-Tobacco Day Theme for 2024?
For 2024, the World No-Tobacco Day Theme is ‘Protecting children from tobacco industry interference’. This theme has been chosen considering the rapid increase in the number of children and youth starting to consume tobacco. This theme and this day help provide a platform to encourage the government to take decisive and bold steps to protect the youth of today against smoking and its harmful effects.
According to a recent 2022 research data shared by WHO, no more than 37 million people in the age bracket of 13-15 use at least one or some form of tobacco worldwide. Speaking of the European region, the WHO stated that 11.5% of boys and 10.1% of girls in the age bracket of 13-15 are tobacco users.
Why is the 2024 theme about youth?
In the past few decades, the tobacco industry has started to see a decline in sales in developing countries. This is due to increased awareness and concerns about health issues related to smoking. Therefore, they have come up with another strategy of targeting new audiences, i.e., the younger generation. All of this is done to keep earning billion-dollar revenue and keeping their business profits high.
The tobacco industry has started to target this new audience of the younger generation through Social Media Advertising and Streaming Platforms. They create content and advertisements that attract the young generation the most. Nowadays, this is also done through Influencer Marketing.
Additionally, the market now has flavoured e-cigarettes with names similar to candies. These e-cigarettes look like actual cigarettes and draw the attention of the youth towards them. Another metric to add to this situation is the growing number of people using social media. Taking advantage of this, the tobacco industry targets the youth generation and shows them content that promotes smoking, and thus, they end up smoking or consuming tobacco products.
Overall, this move in the tobacco industry has started to attract a younger audience. As a result, instead of a better life, they have begun to move towards a life that has lung cancer and other severe problems for them in the future.
Why Is World No-Tobacco Day Important?
Wondering why is World No-Tobacco Day 2024 so important? Well, here’s why –
- Taking care of Health
Tobacco is poisonous to health. It causes diseases like cancer, liver problems, breathing problems, heart problems, etc. When you leave tobacco, you say yes to better health and a better life.
- Supports People who want to Quit smoking
A lot of people struggle or face difficulties when they plan to quit smoking. This happens due to nicotine addiction, the relief it gives them from stress, and so much more. Therefore, by promoting No Tobacco Day in India and other parts of the world, we help them by showcasing that they can do it.
- Bring in Change
By showing your interest and promoting World No Tobacco Day, you start the process of bringing change. This can be in the form of spreading awareness about how harmful tobacco products are, supporting a loved one or maybe a stranger in quitting smoking, fighting against what the tobacco industry is doing, etc. Every small action brings about positive change and promotes a smoke-free future, especially for the younger generation.
How can someone give up smoking?
A lot of articles, organizations, etc., say that somebody who is trying to quit smoking needs to seek help from external factors like Nicotine Replacement Therapy, chewing gums, and much more to achieve the no-smoking goal.
But what if we tell you that this is a LIE? The truth is you don’t need anything except a solid will to leave your tobacco habit, and you are done. With a strong mindset and a few Mindfulness techniques, you can easily give up smoking in just a few days.
And we swear by it!
Conclusion
As we celebrate the upcoming No Tobacco Day in India, it’s essential to understand the life-threatening effects of consuming tobacco products. If you are somebody who does not consume them, keep up the excellent work! But, if you are somebody who does, you need to know that they are incredibly harmful and you need to give it up as soon as possible. And, If you are somebody who is trying to give up the consumption of tobacco products but is not able to, don’t worry; we are there for you!
