The Origin and Meaning of World No Tobacco Day

Everyone knows that smoking is harmful to health, yet many still smoke. Today marks the 30th World No Tobacco Day. According to reports from the National Health and Family Planning Commission, there are 316 million smokers in China, and 740 million people are exposed to secondhand smoke. More than 1 million people die from smoking-related causes in China each year. November 17 is World No Tobacco Day; do you know the origin of this day? Below, I will provide a detailed introduction.

The Origin of World No Tobacco Day

World No Tobacco Day generally refers to World No Smoking Day, aimed at raising international awareness of the health hazards of tobacco. The origin of World No Tobacco Day dates back to November 1987 when the World Health Organization suggested that April 7 of each year be designated as "World Health Day" and began implementation in 1988.

Since April 7 is the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization, every year on this day, the WHO proposes a health requirement theme. To avoid interfering with the health theme, the WHO decided to designate May 31 of each year as World No Tobacco Day starting in 1989. In mainland China, it is referred to as World No Smoking Day, while in Hong Kong and Taiwan, it is called World No Smoking Day.

May 31, 2017, was the 30th World No Tobacco Day. The theme for World No Tobacco Day 2017 was: "Tobacco - A Threat to Development." The theme for activities in our country was: "No Smoking, Health, Development."
 
The Significance of World No Tobacco Day

Now that we know when World No Tobacco Day is, let's understand its significance. It promotes the concept of not smoking, and each year there is a central theme that highlights a particular topic worth focusing on regarding tobacco and smoking cessation. Various promotional activities are held worldwide in response to this day. The themes of past World No Tobacco Days have included:

From a family perspective: Smoking affects the physical and mental health of family members and is also a harm to oneself, so quitting smoking is very necessary. It is essential to advocate and promote family-oriented smoking cessation. Knowing when World No Tobacco Day is, we can organize family-oriented smoking cessation activities.

The harm of smoking to teenagers: For teenagers, the dangers of smoking are even greater. Experts point out that recent studies show that smoking poses four major health risks to teenagers:

1. Affects development and growth

Medical research indicates that teenagers are in a period of growth and development, and their physiological systems and organs are not yet mature. Their resistance to harmful external factors is weaker than that of adults, making them more susceptible to toxins, which can harm their normal growth. Recent studies show that smoking can even lead to myocardial infarction and death, so the significance of World No Tobacco Day for teenagers cannot be ignored.