Tobacco use is one of the most important determinants of
human health trends worldwide (1). The annual rate of 3 million
deaths attributed to tobacco use will reach approximately 10
million by 2025. Globally, if current trends continue, more than
200 million persons who are currently children and teenagers will
die from tobacco-related illnesses (1).
In many countries, tobacco use is increasing among young
persons, and the age of smoking initiation is declining. Most
smokers begin smoking during their teenage years. If young persons
do not use tobacco before age 20 years, they are unlikely to
initiate use as adults (2).
The theme for this year's World No-Tobacco Day, to be held
May 31, is "Growing up Without Tobacco." The World Health
Organization (WHO) encourages governments, communities,
organizations, schools, families, and persons to focus on the
increasing epidemic of tobacco-related morbidity and mortality, to
take strong actions to prevent nicotine addiction in young
persons, to protect nonsmokers from the dangers of environmental
tobacco smoke, and to provide effective youth-oriented
smoking-cessation programs.
WHO will provide press releases, fact sheets, a poster, and
an advisory kit on comprehensive measures to reduce tobacco use.
Additional information about World No-Tobacco Day 1998 is
available from WHO's World-Wide Web site
http://www.who.ch/programmes/psa/toh.htm, from the WHO regional
office of the Americas, telephone (202) 861-3200, or from CDC's
Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease
Prevention and Health Promotion, telephone (770) 488-5705;
World-Wide Web site http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco.
References
Peto R, Lopez A, Boreham J, Thun M, Heath C Jr. Mortality from
smoking in developed countries, 1950-2000: indirect estimates
from
national vital statistics. Oxford, England: Oxford University
Press, 1994.
World Health Organization. World No-Tobacco Day, 31 May 1998
{Advisory kit}. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization,
1998.
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