Introduction:
Every year, on 31 May, WHO marks World No Tobacco Day (WNTD), highlighting the health and other risks associated with tobacco use, and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. Tobacco use is the single most important cause of globally preventable deaths, it kills one in 10 adults worldwide.
Smoking is one of the main causes of death, it kills 6 million persons annually and is expected to increase to over 8 million annually by 2030, and in addition to that, it is one of the risk factors of many diseases.
Combating smoking is a key element of WHO response to the global epidemic of non-communicable diseases, particularly heart diseases, blood vessels, cancer, chronic kidney and diabetes and other diseases. The non-communicable diseases cause the death of around 16 million persons annually (before the age of 70). Reducing tobacco use plays a key role in global efforts to achieve the development goal of reducing premature deaths from non-communicable diseases by one-third by 2030.
The Ministry of Health (MOH), represented by the Anti-Smoking Program, has sought to develop therapeutic services to help smokers who wish to quit by:
- Opening a number of anti-smoking clinics in different regions and provinces of the Kingdom.
- Issuing the Saudi Guide for Tobacco-Cessation Services, as a guide for service providers.
- Holding many theoretical and practical courses for workers in the field.
- Providing anti-smoking drugs for citizens free of charge.
- The MOH approved mobile clinic project through which it seeks to provide easier and more widespread quitting services and increases the number of beneficiaries by reaching the places where smokers are in large numbers such as workplace, shopping centers, and recreation areas.
Facts:
- Tobacco kills up to half of its users.
- Nearly 80% of the world's more than 1 billion smokers live in low- and middle-income countries.
- Tobacco contains tar, which causes lung cancer and narrow respiratory tract.
- Reduces the efficiency of red blood cells in the transport of oxygen because of its containment of carbon monoxide; leading to:
- Atherosclerosis and high blood pressure.
- Emphysema or bronchitis.
- Angina pectoris.
- Optic atrophy.
- Stroke.
- Teeth loss.
- Heart attack.
Objectives of the World No Tobacco Day:
- Highlight the links between the use of tobacco products and heart and other cardiovascular diseases.
- Increase awareness within the broader public of the impact tobacco use and exposure to second-hand smoke has on cardiovascular health.
- Provide opportunities for the public, governments and others to make commitments to promote heart health by protecting people from use of tobacco products.
- Encourage countries to strengthen implementation of the tobacco control measures.
Official Date:
Globally: May 31st, 2018
Locally: Ramadan `6th, 1439.
World No Tobacco Day 2018: Tobacco and Heart Disease
Tobacco Breaks Hearts
Choose Health, Not Tobacco
World No Tobacco Day will focus on the impact tobacco has on the cardiovascular health of people worldwide.
Tobacco use is an important risk factor for the development of coronary heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease.
Facts about tobacco and heart and cardiovascular diseases:
- Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) kill more people than any other cause of death worldwide, and tobacco use and second-hand smoke exposure contribute to approximately 12% of all heart disease deaths.
- Tobacco use is the second leading cause of CVD, after high blood pressure.
- The global tobacco epidemic kills more than 7 million people each year, of which close to 900 000 are non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke.
- Nearly 80% of the more than 1 billion smokers worldwide live in low- and middle-income countries, where the burden of tobacco-related illness and death is heaviest.
Target Groups:
- Smokers and their families.
- Workers in the health sector including physicians, health educators and social specialists.
- Anti-smoking societies and organizations such as the Anti-Smoking Charitable Association and Anti-Smoking Program.
- The public.
Related link:
- WHO
- MOH Anti-Smoking Program
