
Every year on the 31st of May, the world unites on a vital mission, facing threats of the tobacco pandemic, which claims more than eight million lives annually. World No Tobacco Day is more than just an awareness campaign. It's a call to action that can save your life.
The Story Behind This Life-Saving Day
The World Health Organization declared this important day in 1987, initially commemorating the first "World No Tobacco Day" on April 7, 1988. In 1988, Member States determined that there had to be awareness that was to go on, and they formally reserved May 31 as World No Tobacco Day every year by resolution WHA40.38.
2025's Powerful Theme: Unmasking Hidden Dangers
The focus of this year, "Unmasking the Appeal: Exposing Industry Tactics on Tobacco and Nicotine Products," highlights that the tobacco industries lure consumers, especially young people, with appealing flavors and advertising methods.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned that "flavors are fueling a new wave of addiction" and must be tackled through an immediate ban. The appealing flavors become the key point for the entry of young people into nicotine products.
“Flavours are fuelling a new wave of addiction, and should be banned. They undermine decades of progress in tobacco control. Without bold action, the global tobacco epidemic, already killing around 8 million people each year, will continue to be driven by addiction dressed up with appealing flavours,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO.
India's Tobacco Challenge: The Numbers That Matter
India faces a serious tobacco issue, with nearly 29% of adults using tobacco in one form or another. Unfortunately, 3,600 Indians die every day due to tobacco-related complications.
Amongst Indian youth, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram have the highest levels of consumption at 25% and Himachal Pradesh at just 1%. The highest adult consumption is in Mizoram, with 72.9% of men and 61.6% of women consuming tobacco products.
Breaking Free: Your Path to a Tobacco-Free Life
Quitting tobacco is not a question of willpower, it's about using evidence-based techniques that work. Mindfulness meditation, yoga, and breathing can all help support your quit attempt by increasing emotional regulation and coping with stress.
New procedures like sound therapy and neurofeedback therapy can retrain the brain to respond differently to cravings. Meditating for as little as ten minutes per day is also known to strengthen your prefrontal cortex so that it can fight off cravings and make conscious choices.
Remember, every step away from cigarettes is a step toward better health, additional years of life, and freedom from nicotine.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Muhammad Faisal Arshad/MSM)