‘World No Tobacco’ day was observed on Wednesday to highlight health risks associated with tobacco use, and to advocate effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption.
The theme for World No Tobacco Day 2017 was ‘Tobacco – a threat to development’.
Shifa International Hospital Islamabad (SIHI) organised an awareness campaign for patients and general public to mark World No Tobacco day.
The campaign was organised to highlight the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocate effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption.
In this regard, information stalls were placed in SIHI, where all kinds of information and literature related to the tobacco use and its effects were available including broachers, flyers, pamphlets and booklets.
A large number of people from twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad joined the campaign, and found the campaign material informative and helpful in avoiding tobacco use.
Goals of the World No Tobacco Day 2017 campaign were to highlight the links between the use of tobacco products, tobacco control and sustainable development; encourage countries to include tobacco control in their national responsibilities and 2030 sustainable development agenda. It also supported member states and civil society to combat tobacco industry interference in political processes, in turn leading to stronger national tobacco control action and demonstrate how individuals contributed in making a sustainable, tobacco-free world, either by committing to never taking up tobacco products, or by quitting the habit.
World Health Organisation (WHO) is calling on countries to prioritise and accelerate tobacco control efforts as part of their responses to the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.
All countries benefit from successfully controlling the tobacco epidemic, above all, by protecting their citizens from the harms of tobacco use and reducing its economic toll on the national economies.
The aim of the sustainable development agenda, and its 17 global goals, is to ensure that ‘no one is left behind’.
In addition to saving lives and reducing health inequalities, comprehensive tobacco control contains adverse environmental impact of tobacco growing, manufacturing, trade and consumption.
Tobacco control can break the cycle of poverty, contribute to ending hunger, promote sustainable agriculture and economic growth and combat climate change.
It is not only governments who could beef up tobacco control efforts; people could also contribute on an individual level to making a sustainable, tobacco-free world. People could commit to never take up tobacco products.