Tobacco kills over six million people every year worldwide, according to World Health Organization (WHO). 600,000 of those six million people are non-smokers poisoned by second-hand smoke. For 26 years, WHO has been celebrating World No Tobacco Day on May 31st. This day serves the purpose of bringing attention to the many negative effects that tobacco use can have on the body. WHO is encouraging people all over the world to abstain from all tobacco consumption for this 24 hour period. The theme of 2013’s World No Tobacco Day is “ban tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship.” World Tobacco Day awareness includes public marches and demonstrations, ad campaigns, and educational programs.
Any form of tobacco can be harmful to the body. Cigarettes and cigars, hand-rolling tobacco, pipes, chewing tobacco and snuff are all common types of tobacco used every day, worldwide. The most well- known and most critical effects of smoking are lung cancer and heart disease.
According to the CDC, smoking increases the risk of coronary heart disease by 2-4 times, the chance of stroke by 2-4 times, men increase their risk of developing lung cancer by 23 times, women increase their chance of lung cancer by 13 times, and the risk of dying from chronic bronchitis and emphysema increases by 12-13 times.
Quitting smoking or other tobacco use can help save your life. Seeking counseling, drug treatment such as nicotine patches or gum, and slowly reducing the amount of smoking can all assist with ridding someone’s life of tobacco products, making them and those closest to them healthier.