A WHO day raising awareness of tobacco's health risks and calling for stronger policies to reduce tobacco use worldwide.
Date31 May
TopicHealth
Established1987
Ways to observe this day
Help a loved one who wants to quit smoking
Share credible information about tobacco's health risks
Support a smoke-free environment at home and at work
Learn about smoking cessation programs available in your community
WHO member states launched World No Tobacco Day in 1987 to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable death and disease it causes. That same year, the World Health Assembly adopted its first resolution calling for a smoke-free day on 7 April 1988, before a subsequent 1989 resolution permanently fixed the observance on 31 May each year.
Tobacco use kills more than 8 million people worldwide each year, including around 1.2 million non-smokers who die from exposure to secondhand smoke, making it one of the largest preventable global health threats. Each year the day focuses on a different theme, from the risks of newer tobacco products like e-cigarettes to the tobacco industry's environmental impact or its marketing tactics targeting young people.
Health ministries and organizations worldwide mark the day with campaigns raising awareness of smoking's dangers, calls for stricter regulation of tobacco sales and marketing, and initiatives supporting people who want to quit smoking.