THE WORLD Health Organization says that tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in today’s society. This year, more than five (5) million people will die from a tobacco-related heart attack, stroke, cancer, lung ailment or other disease. This does not include the more than 600,000 people – more than a quarter of them children – who will die from exposure to second-hand smoke.
The annual death toll from the global epidemic of tobacco use could rise to eight (8) million by 2030. Having killed 100 million people during the 20th Century, tobacco use could kill 1 billion during the 21st Century.
World No Tobacco Day, 2011, which will be observed under the theme, ‘The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control’, is designed to highlight the serious health impacts of tobacco and tobacco use, and stresses national obligations under the treaty. Observation of this day is also intended to promote the essential role of the Conference of the Parties and WHO in supporting national efforts to meet the obligations set out by the Convention. As with any other treaty, the WHO FCTC confers legal obligations on the countries and the European Union that have formally acceded to it. These obligations include:
•    To protect people from exposure to tobacco smoke.
•    Warn people about the dangers of tobacco.
•    Protect public health policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry.
•    Adopt price and tax measures to reduce the demand for tobacco.
•    Regulate the contents of tobacco products.
•    Regulate tobacco product disclosures.
•    Regulate the packaging and labeling of tobacco products.
•    Ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
•    Offer people help to end their addiction to tobacco.
•    Control the illicit trade in tobacco products.
•    Ban sales to and by minors.
•    Support economically viable alternatives to tobacco growing.
The participation of people at all levels is necessary for the success of tobacco control policies and the implementation of tobacco control measures. Wisdom is also needed to resist the lure of advertisements and other publicity gimmicks which portray smoking as sophisticated and ‘cool’, and serve only to lead people into a lifetime of nicotine dependence.
Remember, tobacco use could kill one billion people during this century. Recognizing the importance of reducing tobacco use, and acting upon the negative health effects of tobacco would save many lives.

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