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‘World No Tobacco Day’ (31st May 2018): Tobacco and Heart Disease.

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World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is celebrated every year on 31st May, since its beginning in 1988. The main aim to mark this day is to encourage a 24-hour period of abstinence from all forms of tobacco consumption around the world. It also aims to spread awareness about the widespread prevalence of tobacco use and the health risks associated with tobacco consumption. The resolution to celebrate 31 May as WNTD was passed by the World Health Assembly (WHA) in 1998 (WHA40.38). The World Health Organization (WHO) has continuously supported WNTD, every year for this campaign and decides on a theme for the day to create a more unified global message. The global theme for WNTD 2018 is – “Tobacco and Heart disease”. The theme focuses on the association between tobacco consumption and cardiovascular health and aims to inculcate the sense of refraining from tobacco use among general people.

Tobacco contains nicotine, a drug classified as potent parasympathomimetic stimulant. Nicotine is a poisonous alkaloid of the plant genus Nicotiana (family Solanaceae). The WHO declared tobacco as the world’s single greatest preventable cause of death in 2008.

Tobacco use is an important risk factor for the development of various diseases such as cancers (lung, blood, kidney, bladder, brain etc.), respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, peripheral vascular disease, pregnancy complications etc.

Key Facts from 2017 World Tobacco Reports

  • Worldwide, each year tobacco causes nearly 6 million deaths, and current trends show that tobacco use lead to more than 8 million deaths annually by 2030.
  • Almost every child regularly breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke in public places.
  • As per the WHO’s, Global Health Observatory (GHO) data 2016, 40% of children are exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke, accounting for over 600,000 deaths per year. Close to a third of those deaths were reported in children under the age of five and two-thirds were in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and South Asia.
  • In 2011, tobacco caused one-tenth of CVDs worldwide. About 12% of all heart disease deaths are due to the use of tobacco and second-hand smoke.
  • After high blood pressure, tobacco use is the second leading cause of CVD.

Aim of the World No Tobacco Day 2018

  • Highlighting the connection between the use of tobacco products and CVDs.
  • Increasing awareness within the masses to refrain from tobacco use and resist exposure to second-hand smoke to improve their cardiovascular health.
  • Promoting heart health by feasible government actions and public measures that can help to reduce the risks to heart health posed by tobacco.
  • Encouraging countries to include tobacco control in their national agenda.

Turacoz healthcare solutions, aims to increase awareness about the negative health impact of tobacco consumption and motivate them to refrain from the use of tobacco products. We must all join hands and raise our voice against both active and passive smoking so that a brighter and healthier future can be ensured for our younger generation and our Nation. Turacoz is a medical communications company, which offers services to healthcare professionals in clinical research, regulatory writing, publication writing, medico-marketing writing, and support for conducting medical advisory board meetings.

‘World No Tobacco Day’ (31st May 2017): Tobacco – A Threat to Development

Awareness Day/Month, ,

A yearly celebration since 1987, ‘World No Tobacco Day’ observed on 31st of May, is an initiative by World Health Organization (WHO). The main aim to mark this day is to highlight the health risks associated with tobacco consumption and advocate for implementation of effective policies which in turn can help in reducing tobacco uses.

Facts and Figures

  • Tobacco causes cancers (head and neck, lung, blood, stomach, kidney, pancreas, colon, bladder, cervix etc.) cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, pregnancy complications and still birth, congenital malformations and several other debilitating diseases.

  • Every year 6 million people die from tobacco use. By 2030, the number is predicted to rise upto 8 million, if intensified quick action is not taken.

  • National economies and health-care costs are negatively impacted by tobacco uses.

  • Low- or middle-income countries (LMIC) reports approximately 80% of premature tobacco‑related deaths.

  • Tobacco cultivation contributes to global deforestation (2% – 4%), water and land pollution (since growing requires large amounts of pesticides and fertilizers) and significant generation of solid waste.

  • The National Cancer Institute (NCI) in collaboration with WHO found that the global economy is burdened with US$1 trillion annually as a result of tobacco use.

 

 

According to the WHO 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, countries must prioritize and accelerate tobacco control efforts. Tobacco epidemic once controlled will support the health, economy and development of a nation. Alongside, it will lessen the environmental burden of tobacco growing, manufacturing, trade and consumption.

Indian Scenario

As per the National Organization for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE), an Indian federation of 20 non-governmental organizations (founded in 1992) works towards networking and coordinating campaigns of various institutions and NGOs across the country and aims to bring about governmental policy changes which tackle the tobacco problem of our nation.

Way Forward and Developmental Goals

  • The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) treaty, signed with 180 Parties (179 countries and the European Union), guides countries to ward off interference from the tobacco industry in government tobacco control policy.

  • Increase in worldwide cigarette taxes will contribute to government revenue generation. Alongside, it will also reduce the demand for tobacco and help in financing national development activities.

Tobacco control laws and regulations generated and implemented around the globe can promote sustainable agriculture and economic growth, save people dying of hunger, break the poverty cycle, and fight against climate change.

We, Turacoz healthcare solutions, support ‘World No Tobacco Day’, 2017 and urge people to refrain from any form of tobacco consumption and use. We must all join hands and raise our voice against both active and passive smoking so that a brighter and healthier future is ensured for our younger generation and our nation. Healthy food, healthcare and education is what we all deserve, let us not lose it to the tobacco smoke.