CNBC-TV18.com
Published May 28, 2024
By Bhagyashree Vaswani
The objective of this day is to spread awareness about the dangers of smoking, inhaling secondhand smoke, and the overall impact of tobacco on the health of individuals and society as a whole.
About 1.3 billion people worldwide consume tobacco products, 80% of whom belong to low and middle-income countries.
This addiction results in household income being diverted from basic necessities to tobacco.
It often leads to premature death and disability of productive-age adults in households, which in turn decreases income and increases healthcare costs.
Big tobacco is now targeting the youth with cheap and convenient ways of consumption.
After a significant decrease in tobacco use, the rise of e-cigarettes that come in attractive packaging and flavours has created a new wave of addiction.
Reports show that globally around 37 million children aged 13–15 years use tobacco.
In many countries, the e-cigarette use of adolescents exceeds that of adults.
Flavours like bubblegum and cotton candy in sleek packaging resembling toys show how deceptive marketing strategies are being used to hook the youth onto nicotine.
No Tobacco Day highlights the work of youth advocates all around the world who are working tirelessly to raise awareness against the manipulative tactics being used by Big Tobacco.