It is World No Tobacco Day! Tobacco kills more than 8 million people each year with more than 7 million direct deaths to tobacco.
The result of direct tobacco use while around 1.2 million are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke. There are over 80% of the world’s 1.3 billion tobacco users who live in low- and middle-income countries. In 2020, 22.3% of the global population used tobacco, 36.7% of all men, and 7.8% of the world’s women.
WHO tweeted, “It’s #WorldNoTobaccoDay!
Big Tobacco is 1 of the 🌍’s worst polluters, causing:
♦️ deforestation
♦️ air pollution
♦️ water waste
♦️ littered beaches
There is #OnlyOneEarth 🌎🌍🌏 – let’s protect it by saying #NoTobacco”
It's #WorldNoTobaccoDay!
Big Tobacco is 1 of the 🌍’s worst polluters, causing:
♦️ deforestation
♦️ air pollution
♦️ water waste
♦️ littered beachesThere is #OnlyOneEarth 🌎🌍🌏 – let's protect it by saying #NoTobacco 🚭
👉 https://t.co/JKMytgFSe4 pic.twitter.com/k8yhSuJW9N
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) May 31, 2022
Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Smoking also increases the risk of tuberculosis, certain eye diseases, and problems with the immune system, including rheumatoid arthritis.
Secondhand smoke exposure contributes to roughly 41,000 deaths among nonsmoking adults and 400 deaths in infants each year. Secondhand smoke causes stroke, lung cancer, and coronary heart disease in adults. Children who are exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome, acute respiratory infections, middle ear disease, extreme asthma, respiratory symptoms, and slowed lung growth.
All forms of tobacco are dangerous, and there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco. Cigarette smoking is the most common form of tobacco use worldwide. Other tobacco products include waterpipe tobacco, various smokeless tobacco products, cigars, cigarillos, roll-your-own tobacco, pipe tobacco, bidis, and kreteks.
Over 80% of the 1.3 billion tobacco users worldwide live in low- and middle-income countries, where the burden of tobacco-related illness and death is heaviest. Tobacco use contributes to poverty by diverting household spending from basic needs such as food and shelter to tobacco.
Based on the scientific evidence, the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) has concluded that 100% smoke-free environments are the only proven way to adequately protect the health of people from the harmful effects of second-hand tobacco smoke. Smoke-free laws protect the health of non-smokers and are popular, as they do not harm businesses and they encourage smokers to quit.
When tobacco users become conscious of the dangers of tobacco, most want to quit. However, the nicotine contained in tobacco products is highly addictive and without cessation support only 4% of users who attempt to quit tobacco use will succeed. Professional support and proven cessation medications can more than double a tobacco user’s chance of successful quitting.
E-cigarettes Are Not Safe
Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) and electronic non-nicotine delivery systems (ENNDS), commonly referred to as e-cigarettes, are devices that heat a liquid to create an aerosol which is then inhaled by the user. These may or may not contain nicotine. The main constituents of the solution by volume are propylene glycol, with or without glycerol, and flavoring agents.
E-cigarettes do not contain tobacco but are harmful to health and are not safe. However, it is too early to provide a clear answer on the long-term impacts of using them or being exposed to them.
E-cigarettes are especially risky when used by children and adolescents. Nicotine is highly addictive.
ENDS use increases the risk of heart disease and lung disorders. They also pose significant risks to pregnant women who use them, as they can damage the growing fetus.