Srinagar, May 30: Observed every year on May 31, World No Tobacco Day is a global public health campaign led by the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise awareness about the devastating impact of tobacco and nicotine addiction on human health, families, society and the environment.
The theme for World No Tobacco Day 2026 is “Unmasking the Appeal – Countering Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction.” The campaign highlights how tobacco and nicotine industries continue to redesign and market products, including e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches and flavored devices, in ways that attract children, adolescents and young adults.
The numbers remain alarming. Tobacco kills more than 80 lakh people every year worldwide, including approximately 13 lakh non-smokers who die because of exposure to second-hand smoke. More than 120 crore people globally use tobacco or nicotine products, while nearly 4 crore adolescents aged 13–15 years are estimated to be using tobacco products. Tobacco use is a major risk factor for cancers of the lung, mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, liver, bladder, kidney and cervix. It is also strongly linked to heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), tuberculosis, diabetes, vascular dementia and several eye disorders.
Health experts are increasingly concerned about the impact of parental smoking on children. Children who grow up in households where parents smoke are more likely to perceive smoking as normal behaviour, initiate tobacco use at an earlier age and are at a higher risk of developing nicotine dependence and other substance-use disorders later in life. They are also more vulnerable to asthma, recurrent respiratory infections, poor lung function and other illnesses caused by second-hand smoke exposure. Beyond health, tobacco harms the environment through deforestation, soil degradation and excessive pesticide use. Around 35 lakh hectares of land are used annually for tobacco cultivation worldwide, contributing to the loss of nearly 2 lakh hectares of forests every year. Much of this cultivation occurs in low- and middle-income countries where valuable agricultural land could otherwise be used for food production. Health experts emphasize that quitting tobacco at any age brings substantial benefits. Every cigarette not smoked improves health, saves money and protects family members from harmful second-hand smoke.This World No Tobacco Day, the message is clear: protecting future generations begins with preventing nicotine addiction today.
