World No Tobacco Day

Tobacco and lung health

Every year, on 31 May, the World Health Organization (WHO) and global partners celebrate World No Tobacco Day (WNTD). The annual campaign is an opportunity to raise awareness on the harmful and deadly effects of tobacco use and second-hand smoke exposure, and to discourage the use of tobacco in any form.

The focus of World No Tobacco Day 2019 is on "tobacco and lung health." The campaign will increase awareness on:

• the negative impact that tobacco has on people’s lung health, from cancer to chronic respiratory disease,
• the fundamental role lungs play for the health and well-being of all people. The campaign also serves as a call to action, advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption and engaging stakeholders across multiple sectors in the fight for tobacco control.

How tobacco endangers the lung health of people worldwide:
• Lung cancer
• Chronic Respiratory Disease
• Tuberculosis
• Air pollution

The World No Tobacco Day 2019 campaign will raise awareness on the:
• risks posed by tobacco smoking and second-hand smoke exposure;
• awareness on the particular dangers of tobacco smoking to lung health;
• magnitude of death and illness globally from lung diseases caused by tobacco, including chronic respiratory diseases and lung cancer;
• emerging evidence on the link between tobacco smoking and tuberculosis deaths;
• implications of second-hand exposure for lung health of people across age groups; 
• importance of lung health to achieving overall health and well-being;
• feasible actions and measures that key audiences, including the public and governments, can take to reduce the risks to lung health posed by tobacco.

-World Health Organisation