World No Tobacco Day

World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is celebrated around the world on May 31 each year. World No Tobacco Day serves as a reminder that all tobacco use is deadly. It is for this reason that the Government of Canada remains committed to working with others to prevent and reduce tobacco use. The Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) created WNTD in 1987 to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable death and disease it causes. WNTD encourages Canadians to reflect on the heavy toll tobacco use places on us all. However, it is also an opportunity to mark the progress we have made towards reducing tobacco consumption.

Canada is an international leader in tobacco control and has supported WNTD since its inception. Various WNTD-related events and activities across the country are supported by Health Canada, primarily through the Tobacco Control Grants and Contributions program.

Objectives

World No Tobacco Day aims to inform the public about:

• the dangers of using tobacco;
• the business practices of tobacco companies;
• what the WHO is doing to fight tobacco use; and
• what people around the world can do to claim their right to health and healthy living and to protect future generations.

Highlights

• WNTD is celebrated across the world with media campaigns and other activities.
• Each year a new theme is suggested by either the WHO or an non-government organization, such as the Canadian Council for Tobacco Control, to educated the public about tobacco use. The theme for WNTD 2006 is "Tobacco: Deadly in any form or disguise."
• Past global themes for WNTD have included tobacco and poverty, tobacco-free workplaces, the media and tobacco, and growing up without tobacco.

Relevant Links:

Message from the Minister of Health - World No Tobacco Day: May 31, 2006

World Health Organization Tobacco Free Initiative

Canadian Council for Tobacco Control

Need more information?

For more information, please visit Health Canada's Tobacco Control Website.