Can we have a tobacco free society?

World Anti Tobacco Day (also known as No-Tobacco Day) is observed throughout the world on 31st May every year to encourage the tobacco users to abstain from consumption of all forms of tobacco.

This trend of observing 31st May as international Anti Tobacco day was started in 1987 , when the World Health Assembly(WHA) of World Health Organization (WHO) passed a resolution WHA40.38, which ultimately formed World No Tobacco Day (WNTD). The primary objective of WNTD was to give information about the deadly components of tobacco and its effects.

According to the report of World Health Organization titled `The Tobacco use and Control Effects' issued in 2008-09, around 9.7 percent teenage girls in India use some form of tobacco. Similarly, 17.3 per cent teenage boys have taken tobacco. The study also revealed that tobacco use in India started at quite a young age and in many cases at schools.

To safeguard our younger generation from the deadly effects of tobacco. Tobacco day is celebrated as an awareness day to draw the people’s attention towards the harmful effects of tobacco on human body. Anti tobacco day is supported by governments, individuals, non -profit organizations, public health organizations and even by smokers. Seminars and events on World Tobacco Day are organized by health organizations and governments while emphasizing on punchlines and pictures to motivate people to quit consuming tobacco permanently. Creating and distributing brochures, posters , fliers, press releases, websites and videos are also considered an integral part of the World No Tobacco Day.

Every year on this day, the WHO chooses a theme for the day that carries global message to quit smoking. Many themes are intended to reveal facts about tobacco industry which misleads general public through advertisement. On May 31st 2008 complete ban on tobacco advertising was imposed .

But different people have different opinion about the World Tobacco Day. For many, WNTD is a challenge to create a tobacco free society. On the contrary, some consider it as futile exercise to curb smoking. However, WHO in January 2011, has selected ‘The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control’ as the theme of Tobacco day 2011 which is considered the world’s primary tobacco curbing instrument.

World No Tobacco Day 2011 will be observed on 31st May, Tuesday. On this specific day, various health organizations, governments and World Health Organization exhibit the latest tobacco-related information and research to create awareness among the public.