No Smoking Day is observed every year on the second Wednesday of March. The day is marked annually to spread awareness about the detrimental effects of smoking. On this day, millions of people across the globe take a stand against tobacco smoking, urging others to fight against its addiction.
Originating in the United Kingdom in 1984, No Smoking Day started as a campaign to spread awareness among the youth about the health risks associated with smoking and to encourage smokers to quit. Spearheaded by a group of health professionals, this noble initiative has since gained recognition globally and witnessed participation from various organisations and individuals around the world.
In India, tobacco usage remains a significant public health concern, with an even bigger number of people addicted to smoking. According to reports, India accounts for 12% of the world's smokers.
No Smoking Day 2024: Major health risks of smoking
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco consumption kills up to half of its users who don’t quit. It kills over eight million people each year around the world, including an estimated 1.3 million non-smokers who are exposed to passive smoking.
In the US itself, cigarette smoking is the major cause of over 4,80,000 deaths every year -- this is nearly one in five deaths, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated.
Among some of its major health risks are various types of cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, as well as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) -- emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Further, regular smoking increases the major risk of tuberculosis, certain eye diseases and problems of the immune system, which include rheumatoid arthritis.
Besides this, second-hand smoking causes major illnesses like stroke, lung cancer, and coronary heart disease in adults, while children are at high risk for sudden infant death syndrome, acute respiratory infections, asthma, respiratory symptoms, and slow lung growth.
Tobacco smoking can increase the risk of developing various types of cancer in most parts of the body, as per reports. These include bladder cancer, acute myeloid leukaemia, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, oesophagal cancer, kidney and uterine cancer, liver cancer, oropharyngeal cancer, pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer, and lung cancer among others.
No Smoking Day offers resources and help to individuals who want to stop smoking and enhance their health, while also serving as a reminder of the significance of tobacco control initiatives around the world.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
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