Health Days 2013

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World No-Tobacco Day

(Ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship)

Preface:

Every year, on 31 May, WHO and partners everywhere celebrate World No Tobacco Day, highlighting the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. Tobacco use is the most important single preventable cause of death globally and is currently responsible for killing one in 10 adults worldwide.

A comprehensive ban of all tobacco advertisement, promotion and sponsorship is required under the WHO Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) for all Parties of this treaty within five years of the entry into force of the Convention as for the concerned party. Evidence shows that the comprehensive ban of Tobacco advertisement leads to reductions in the numbers of people starting and continuing smoking. Statistics show also that the ban of tobacco advertisement and sponsorship is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce tobacco demand and thus it is considered the “best choice” to control tobacco.

The global tobacco epidemic kills nearly six million people each year, of which more than 600.000 are non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke. Unless we adopt the required measures, the epidemic will kill more than eight million people every year by 2030. More than 80% of these preventable deaths will be among people living in low and middle income countries.

Internationally Approved Date:
31 May 2013

Locally Approved Date:
21 Rajab 1434H

World No Tobacco Day's Theme
(Ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship)

Targeted Group:

Smokers and their families.
Workers in the health sector, namely, physicians, health experienced staff and social workers.
Policy-makers and planners.
Anti-smoking associations and organizations such as the Anti Smoking Charitable Association and the Anti Smoking Program.
All members of the society.

General Objectives and Messages:

The ultimate goal of World No Tobacco Day is to contribute to protect present and future generations not only against these devastating health consequences, but also against the social, environmental and economic scourges of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke.

Specific Objectives of the 2013 Campaign Are to:

Spur countries to implement WHO FCTC Article 13 and its Guidelines to comprehensively ban tobacco advertisement, promotion and sponsorship in order to reduce the number of people starting and continuing smoking.
Drive local, national and international efforts to counteract tobacco industry efforts aiming at undermining tobacco control, specifically that such efforts endeavour to stall or stop comprehensive bans on tobacco advertisement, promotion and sponsorship.

World No Tobacco Day's Key Messages for Governments, Policy-Makers and Civil Society Are to Work for:

Banning tobacco advertisement, promotion and sponsorship comprehensively.
Facing the deceptive and misleading nature of tobacco promotion campaigns.
Preventing the young people from promoting for tobacco.
Providing evidence that the tobacco industry cannot regulate itself effectively.
Highlighting the ineffectiveness of the partial ban.
Following up the Guidelines on the implementation of WHO FCTC Article 13.

World No Tobacco Day's Slogan: