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World No Tobacco Day - May 31:

Cigarette Monster is a killer!

You think its macho or fashionable to have a cigarette between your fingers from which you take regular puffs and send smoke rings into the air? Well, if you have been made to think smoking is ‘hip’ by someone , think again, because, its only a “smoke screen’ put up by those with ulterior motives to entice you to become a smoker. Never be duped by those who try to promote smoking as a fashion statement, especially among adolescents who are already facing a very challenging period of their life and therefore are very vulnerable to any kind of influence.

Smoking is akin to a monster which will slowly but surely suffocate you to death with each puff of the cigarette you take. If anyone of you has an inclination to smoke a cigarette even for fun , then think of it as an extremely bad choice you are making in life. Even though just one puff ...is not going to make you a regular smoker , cigarettes are addictive. So, even if a brief encounter with the ‘Cigarette Monster ‘ may not seem as dangerous as an encounter with its evil twins, Drugs and Alcohol ,DO NOT take the risk of experimenting; the possibility of you ending up as a smoker is strong . Never mess around with any of these three evils because they would only ruin your entire life...

There are many out there who try to justify smoking ,claiming it is the lesser evil but be warned: smoking is not harmless as it seems. Just because there are no immediate visible effects, apart from the smoke of course, tobacco is a killer. Deaths due to smoking are high .It is not only the person who smokes who is at risk of getting cancer and other smoking-related diseases but also those who inhale the smoke from the cigarettes or any other form of product such as beedis made using tobacco.

Don’t let the ‘smoke get in your eyes’. Be always alert to those who try to entice you into smoking. If you know of family members who are smokers, use your influence to help them quit.

Here are some startling facts about smoking released by the World Health Organization (WHO). They are bound to make you aware of the dangers of smoking.

*The global tobacco epidemic kills nearly six million people each year, of which more than 600,000 are people exposed to second-hand smoke.

* Tobacco use is the leading preventable risk factor for non-communicable disease which, If remedial action is not taken to reduce smoking it will kill up to eight million people by 2030, of which more than 80 per cent will live in low- and middle-income countries.

Following the rising deaths due to smoking, the member states of the WHO agreed on a groundbreaking public health treaty WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control(FCTC) to control tobacco supply and consumption at the 56th World Health Assembly on May 21, 2003..It had been signed by 168 countries and is legally binding in 174 ratifying/accessioned countries.Sri Lanka signed the treaty on September 23, 2003 and ratified it on November 11,2003.There are currently 21 non-parties to the treaty (11 which have not signed and 10 which have signed but not ratified).It became the first World Health Organization treaty adopted under article 19 of the WHO constitution and came into force on February 27, 2005.

The FCTC, which was one of the fastest ratified treaties in The United Nations history. is a supranational agreement that seeks “to protect, present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke” by enacting a set of universal standards stating the dangers of tobacco and limiting its use in all forms worldwide.

The treaty’s provisions include rules that govern the production, sale, distribution, advertisement, and taxation of tobacco.

FCTC standards are, however, minimum requirements, and signatories are encouraged to be even more stringent in regulating tobacco than the treaty requires them to be. The text of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) covers tobacco taxation, smoking prevention and treatment, illicit trade, advertising, sponsorship and promotion, and product regulation.

 The convention is a real milestone in the history of global public health and in international collaboration. It means nations will be working systematically together to protect the lives of present and future generations, and take on shared responsibilities to make this world a better and healthier place.

At the 15th World Conference on Tobacco or Health Declaration Singapore, held during March 20 – 24,this year the delegates recognised the fact that tobacco in all its forms is a global health catastrophe causing six million deaths annually and untold suffering, costing many billions of dollars each year.

At least 40 countries dedicate a portion of their tobacco taxes to fund the implementation of the WHO FCTC. They recommend that, by 2015:All governments incorporate tobacco control as a core item in the country’s action plans.

World No Tobacco Day 2012

Theme: Tobacco industry interference

World No Tobacco Day is a day for people, non-governmental organizations and governments organize various activities to make people aware of the health problems that tobacco use can cause.On May 15, 1987, the World Health Organization passed a resolution, calling for April 7, 1988, to be the first World No Smoking Day. This date was chosen because it was the 40th anniversary of the World Health Organization. On May 17, 1989, the World Health Organization passed a resolution calling for May 31 to be annually known as World No Tobacco Day. This event has been observed each year since 1989. The World

Health Organization (WHO) selects “tobacco industry interference” as the theme of this year’s t World No Tobacco Day, which will take place on May 31, 2012. The campaign will focus on the need to expose and counter the tobacco industry’s brazen and increasingly aggressive attempts to undermine the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) because of the serious danger they pose to public health. 

As more and more countries move to fully meet their obligations under the WHO FCTC, the tobacco industry’s efforts to undermine the treaty are becoming more and more energetic. World No Tobacco Day 2012 will educate policy-makers and the general public about the tobacco industry’s tactics. On World No Tobacco Day 2012, and throughout the following year, WHO will urge countries to put the fight against tobacco industry interference at the heart of their efforts to control smoking.

Facts and pix: Internet

[Fast facts]

* Tobacco is a product of the fresh leaves of nicotiana plants.
* It is used as an aid in spiritual ceremonies and a recreational drug.
* It originated in the Americas, but was introduced to Europe by Jean Nicot, the French ambassador to Portugal in 1559. It quickly became popular and an important trade crop.
* Medical research made it clear during the 1900s that tobacco use increased the likelihood of many illnesses including heart attacks, strokes, and many forms of cancer.