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The World Health Organization (WHO) chose “Tobacco Industry Interference” as the theme of this year’s World No Tobacco Day, which takes place on Thursday, May 31.
This year’s movement will help to reveal and oppose the tobacco industry’s blatant and extremely aggressive attempts to undermine attempts to reign in the mass destruction caused by tobacco use.
Tobacco use is the NUMBER ONE cause and secondhand smoke is NUMBER THREE cause of PREVENTABLE DEATH.
This global tobacco epidemic kills nearly 6 million people each year, of which more than 600,000 are people exposed to secondhand smoke. Unless we act, it will kill up to 8 million people by 2030, of which more than 80% will live in low- and middle-income countries.
Big Tobacco has tried to stop the adoption of new graphic pictures as health warnings on packages of tobacco. They are now suing countries under bilateral investment treaties, claiming that the warnings impinge the companies’ attempts to use their legally-registered brands.
Their attempts to undermine the treaty continue on other fronts, especially when it comes to countries’ attempts to restrict smoking in enclosed public places and to ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. Sound familiar?
World No Tobacco Day 2012 will educate legislators and the general public about Big Tobacco’s dirty tricks.
On World No Tobacco Day 2012, and throughout the year, WHO encourages countries to fight the good fight against tobacco industry interference and make these efforts top priority to control the global tobacco epidemic.
For more information, visit http://www.who.int/tobacco/wntd/2012/announcement/en/