Focus on lung health

The World Health Organization has said that the focus of World No Tobacco Day 2019 – May 32 – will be on tobacco and lung health.

According to a note on a WHO website, the campaign is charged with increasing awareness of ‘the negative impact that tobacco has on people’s lung health, from cancer to chronic respiratory disease,’ and ‘the fundamental role lungs play for the health and well-being of all people’.

‘The campaign also serves as a call to action, advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption and engaging stakeholders across multiple sectors in the fight for tobacco control,’ the WHO said.

The World No Tobacco Day 2019 campaign is due to raise awareness on the:

• risks posed by tobacco smoking and second-hand smoke exposure;
• awareness on the particular dangers of tobacco smoking to lung health;
• magnitude of death and illness globally from lung diseases caused by tobacco, including chronic respiratory diseases and lung cancer;
• emerging evidence on the link between tobacco smoking and tuberculosis deaths;
• implications of second-hand exposure for lung health of people across age groups;
• importance of lung health to achieving overall health and well-being;
• feasible actions and measures that key audiences, including the public and governments, can take to reduce the risks to lung health posed by tobacco.