World No Tobacco Day

World No Tobacco Day is an annual awareness day taking place on 31 May. It is organised to raise awareness about the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocate for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption worldwide.

World No Tobacco Day aims to draw attention to the business practices of tobacco companies to capture generations of consumers and their interference in policy decisions that undermine effective tobacco control. It serves to highlight what WHO is doing to fight the tobacco epidemic that kills up to half its users and contributes to more than eight million people dying every year, and what people can do to protect future generations and allow everyone the chance to claim their right to health. Every year, the theme of World No Tobacco Day addresses a specific issue related to tobacco and its industry.

World No Tobacco Day was created in 1987 by Member States of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to raise awareness of the harms caused by tobacco products to people, public health, communities and the environment.

Find out more about UICC's efforts in Tobacco control

What is the theme of
World No Tobacco Day 2024?

31 May 2024

The theme of World No Tobacco Day 2024 is "Protecting children from tobacco industry interference" to protect future generations and ensure that tobacco use continues to decline. This year, attention is directed towards the alarming trend of the tobacco industry's targeted marketing towards youth. Through extensive social media and streaming platform campaigns, young people are increasingly exposed to the allure of tobacco products, posing a significant threat to their health and well-being. Country surveys consistently show that children aged 13–15 years in most countries are using tobacco and nicotine products.

Smoking among youth remains prevalent and is increasing in certain nations. Worldwide, an estimated 50 million boys and girls aged 13–15 consumed tobacco products (Tobacco Atlas). In 2022, scenes featuring tobacco increased by 110% in popular recent shows among 15- to 24-year-olds, often portraying smoking as glamorous and cool. According to Truth Initiative young people are up to 3x more likely to start vaping when exposed to smoking imagery on screen.

UICC's engagement in tobacco control

UICC fully supports the celebration of World No Tobacco Day and puts the emphasis on raising awareness on the deleterious effect of tobacco use on health, and specifically on cancer cases and deaths.

Tobacco use is linked to at least 20 cancer types and the leading preventable cause of cancer by a wide margin. Indeed, tobacco products cause some 2.4 million deaths globally every year, almost a quarter of all deaths due to cancer (10 million).

For this reason, UICC advocates for effective tobacco control in low- and middle-income countries where 80% of the world’s smokers live, supports the implementation of cost-effective measures to curb tobacco use, and raises awareness about efforts by the tobacco industry to expand its market and fight anti-smoking legislation.

Spread the word!

Tobacco use is a major issue that impacts all communities and impedes the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. It has direct harmful effects on its consumer’s health, but it also affects the country’s economy, environment, women’s health and childhood labour.

UICC recommends that its members raising awareness about the dangers of tobacco use on World No Tobacco Day on this day and relay the messages to the general public but also every stakeholder, decision makers and government.

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Tobacco use is a leading cause of many types of cancer

Quitting at any age can increase life expectancy and improve quality of life

Tobacco products kill more than 8 million people every year

Tobacco use causes USD 1.4 trillion in health care costs and lost productivity each year

Tobacco smoking accounts for 80% of lung cancer cases

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Tobacco use is more addictive than opioids, alcohol, or cocaine. According to the @CDC, symptoms of serious nicotine addiction can occur after only days or weeks of experimenting with smoking. @uicc

Nicotine can harm developing brains, with younger users facing a higher likelihood of addiction, greater difficulty in quitting, and potentially an increased risk of addiction to other substances in the future. @uicc @TruthInitiative

In 2022, scenes featuring tobacco increased by 110% in popular recent shows among 15- to 24-year-olds, often portraying smoking as glamorous and cool. According to @TruthInitiative young people are up to 3x more likely to start vaping when exposed to smoking imagery on screen. @uicc

Tobacco content, including branded promotional content and misinformation about tobacco and nicotine, is commonplace on social media. @uicc

Smoking among youth remains prevalent and is increasing in certain nations. Worldwide, an estimated 50 million boys and girls aged 13–15 consumed tobacco products. (Tobacco Atlas)

Digital platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, which are mostly unregulated, are key marketing channels for tobacco companies looking to evade advertising regulations.

General Tobacco control social media key messages