Theme: The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death; this year approximately 5 million persons worldwide will die from tobacco-related heart attacks, strokes, cancers, and other diseases. That does not include the more than 600,000 people – more than a quarter of them children – who will die from exposure to second-hand smoke. Having killed 100 million people during the 20th century, tobacco use could kill 1 billion during the 21st century (1). Sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO), World No Tobacco Day is observed every year on May 31.
Key facts of tobacco smoking:
- Tobacco kills up to half of its users.
- The tobacco epidemic kills nearly 6 million people per year
- Without urgent action, the death toll could rise to more than eight million by 2030.
- More than 80% of the world's one billion smokers live in low- and middle-income countries.
- Total consumption of tobacco products is increasing globally, though it is decreasing in some high-income and upper middle-income countries.
This year, World No Tobacco Day highlights the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) (1). Adopted as a resolution at WHO's 1996 World Health Assembly, WHO FCTC took effect in 2005 and is maintained by the United Nations. A total of 173 countries have adopted the treaty (2), making WHO FCTC one of the most widely embraced evidence-based treaties in United Nations history.
WHO FCTC urges all countries to ratify the treaty, fully implement its provisions, and adopt its guidelines (1), and WHO provides country-level assistance for implementing effective tobacco control measures (3).
References
1) World Health Organization. WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Geneva , Switzerland
Available at -
Accessed May 19, 2011.
2) World Health Organization. Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Geneva , Switzerland
Accessed May 19, 2011.
3) World Health Organization. WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2008: the MPOWER package. Geneva , Switzerland
Accessed May 19, 2011.
Additional information is available at -
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