World No Tobacco Day - May 31, 2025

What is World No Tobacco Day?

World No Tobacco Day is the World Health Organization (WHO) initiative to inform people about different health and environmental problems associated with tobacco. WHO also aims to spread awareness about the tobacco industry’s business practices, what their organization is doing to prevent tobacco use, and what the general public can do to minimize the harmful effect of tobacco.

 The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) also joined hands with WHO on this no-tobacco initiation to build a more sustainable and healthy future for the next generation. Did you know that about 8 million deaths worldwide occur due to tobacco consumption? Moreover, around 1.2 million deaths among the 8 million are due to passive smoking in houses, offices, and public places. World No Tobacco Day has seen both appreciation and resistance from governments, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Public Health Organizations (PHOs), smokers, and tobacco industries.

World No Tobacco Day - All Quick Overview

• Time / Date: May 31
• Category: Health
• Where It’s Marked: Globally
• Why It’s Marked: The day marks the danger of using tobacco products and attempts to spread awareness about the harmful consequences of tobacco use.

History Of World No Tobacco Day

World Health Organization (WHO) has eleven official Global Public Health Campaigns World Health Day, World Immunization Week, and World Blood Donor Day, among which World No Tobacco Day is one.

World Health Organization’s Member States drew attention to the widespread tobacco use and its associated diseases and death. Then, they decided to create World No Tobacco Day in 1987. In that same year, the World Health Assembly declared April 7, 1988, to be a “World No Smoking Day with the enactment of Resolution WHA40.38. Later on, in 1988, WHO established the celebration of “World No Tobacco Day” on May 31 by passing Resolution WHA42.19. 

The WHO advocated for a global ban on tobacco sponsorship, advertising, and promotion in 2008 on the eve of World No Tobacco Day. They took this initiative following the theme of 2008: Tobacco-Free Youth. Many studies show that tobacco advertising influences youth to smoke. WHO believes the tobacco industry purposely advertises its products to the youth to replace customer demography.

In 2015, World No Tobacco Day supported the initiation of adequate policies to end the illegal tobacco product trade and reduce tobacco use. Then in 2016, WHO urged nations to use simple packaging for tobacco products to avoid attracting people.

Moreover, the theme of 2017 was “A Threat to Development.” So, the WHO on “World No Tobacco Day” focused on the harmful effects of tobacco factories on the sustainable environment and development. It also included the economy and health of all the people in the world.

How to Celebrate World No Tobacco Day

WHO celebrates World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) in many ways, especially by selecting a theme for each year. These themes create a more harmonious message for the world and become the primary tobacco-related plan for the year.

Every year, the WHO distributes flyers, posters, banners, and leaflets to people worldwide. They even release press conference videos and pictures regarding that year’s WNTD theme. For the 2008 WNTD theme: Tobacco-Free Youth, WHO organized a tobacco awareness campaign which they uploaded on YouTube. Then in 2009, the organization held podcasts regarding tobacco awareness.

Moreover, WHO stands for the truth surrounding tobacco. Tobacco industries falsely advertise their products to people, which makes them believe that different tobacco products affect them differently. But the message that WHO sends out is that tobacco will lead to death, one way or another.

You will also find the World Health Organization’s website working to provide a place for people to share their views and activities for WNTD, which they later publish country-wise.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has also held the WNTD award program annually since 1988. Six individuals from America, Africa, Eastern Mediterranean, South-East Asia, Europe, and Western Pacific win World No Tobacco Awards for their outstanding contribution to the day. WHO also gives out Director-General Special Awards and Recognition Certificates to worthy individuals worldwide.

Countries that Observe World No Tobacco Day

World No Tobacco Day is a global observance that all countries partake in.

Interesting Facts about World No Tobacco Day

Many interesting facts about tobacco will surely make you or anyone quit. We have listed some of them down.

• A cigarette contains over 7,000 harmful chemicals, of which 69 cause cancer.
• Smoking is addictive because the chemical substance, Nicotine, is an addictive chemical.
• The second global cause of death is tobacco. The first is hypertension.
• One out of five deaths occurs due to tobacco in the U.S.
• If an average adult person ingests five cigarettes directly, it can kill them.
• A non-smoker lives up to 10 years more than a smoker.
• Vaping is not a safe replacement for cigarettes.
• A person can have cancer, lung diseases, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and COPD just by smoking.
• On average, 1.3 billion people are smokers.
• Among the 1.3 billion smokers, 7 million die from direct smoking, and 1.3 million die from passive smoking.

Unique World No Tobacco Day Celebration Ideas

If you want to celebrate being tobacco free or want to be tobacco-free, here are some ideas to get you on track.

• Count the number of cigarettes you smoke daily. Then, count how much you are spending in a month on cigarettes. Slowly but surely, your tobacco intake will reduce.
• Tobacco is addictive, and it can be hard to quit. But many videos, blogs, and books can help you quit smoking. You can also read guidebooks to help you refrain from tobacco.
• Teach your younger generation not to start smoking. The best way to quit smoking is never to start. So, teach early about the harmful effects of tobacco. Don’t forget to advise on peer pressure because sometimes it leads to the beginning of a smoking habit.

World No Tobacco Day Quotes

The world needs supporting quotes and wishes if they want to quit tobacco for good. If you know anyone who needs a little push to quit smoking today, send a message with some quotes.

“Smoking is hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, and dangerous to the lungs." - King James.

“The tobacco companies knew quite early on the addictive nature of their product." - Neil Cavuto.

“Tobacco is the only industry that produces products to make huge profits and at the same time damage the health and kill their consumers." - Margaret Chan.

FAQ

1. How does tobacco affect forests?

Just for growing tobacco, 1.5 billion hectares of forest have been destroyed since the 1970s.

2. How can we control tobacco consumption?

Tobacco can be easily boycotted by the young generation, decreasing its demand and slowly minimizing it.

3. Why is smoking addictive?

Smoking is addictive due to a toxic chemical substance called Nicotine. Nicotine has addictive characteristics which make cigarettes harder to quit.