World No Tobacco Day - May 31: Deadly in any form

Some of you may have family members who are in the habit of smoking or chewing tobacco. Even you yourself may be doing so! You may express surprise, but there are many children who have fallen victim to this bad and dangerous habit.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the tobacco industry is targeting children, and 250 million children and adolescents, one third of them in developing countries, are predicted to die prematurely due to tobacco-related causes.

It's in this backdrop that the World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is celebrated by the WHO on May 31. The special day is commemorated to call attention to the impact of tobacco use on health and reduce people's dependence on tobacco.

The focus of this year's observations will be on 'Tobacco: Deadly in any form or disguise'. New varieties of tobacco products are entering the market every day, disguised as "healthier or safer" versions, deceiving customers into believing that they are less harmful to their health.

The Day will encourage countries and governments to work towards the implementation of strict regulation of tobacco products, by raising awareness about the existence of the many different varieties of products in the market. Such regulation will help people get more accurate information, remove disguises and unveil the truth behind all tobacco products, whether traditional, new or future.

Some of the events to be organised in Sri Lanka by the Health Ministry, in connection with the Day, will be newspaper supplements, media briefings, awards ceremony to honour people who contributed towards tobacco control during the past year and a Ministry circular on WNTD to be distributed among all health care workers.

According to the WHO, tobacco addiction is a global epidemic, ruining countries which can least afford such destruction, through disability, disease, lost productivity and death. It's the second major cause of death in the world, with one out of 10 adult deaths (five million) per year from tobacco-related causes.

One third of the world's adult population (1.1 billion) are smokers. Tobacco and related products kill 3.5 million people around the world every year, or 10,000 people every day. Out of the total number of deaths, about one million occur in developing countries like Sri Lanka. If left unchecked, it will claim more than 10 million lives a year by 2020.

Tobacco is also the fourth most common risk factor for disease in the world. Such diseases make the victims less productive, thereby resulting in high economic costs. Health costs of treatment are also high, about 200 billion US dollars globally. Tobacco kills people who are at the height of productivity, depriving families of breadwinners.

It's also linked to poverty, with 10 per cent of the expenditure in the poorest households being spent on tobacco products, which results in less money to be spent on food, education and health care. This leads to higher illiteracy rates, malnutrition, high health care costs and premature deaths.

Different tobacco control measures such as bans on advertising, taxes, price hikes, large, clear and graphic messages on packaging and smoke-free environments in public and work places, have been implemented in various countries.

These measures are also discussed in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Worldwide co-operation is needed to stamp out tobacco-related deaths and diseases and work towards a tobacco-free world.

You too can certainly get involved in these projects, by helping your loved ones who may be addicted to tobacco products to come out of their bad habit. Remember, you also stand to benefit from this through the smoke-free environment it will bring you.