World No Tobacco Day 2009
Theme: Tobacco Health Warnings
Tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death. More than five million people die from the effects of tobacco every year — more than from HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. It is the only legal consumer product that kills when used exactly as the manufacturer intends. Up to half of all smokers will die from a tobacco-related disease. Second-hand smoke harms everyone who is exposed to it.
One-third of the world's smokers reside in the Western Pacific Region where two people die each day from tobacco-related diseases. This region also has the highest rate of male smoking prevalence and fastest increase of tobacco uptake by women and young people.
Most people are unaware of the extent of the harm that tobacco causes even if they have some idea that it is a health risk.
Tobacco companies use packaging and other advertising techniques to make tobacco appealing, while distracting consumers from the harsh reality of how tobacco destroys health.
Tobacco companies spend tens of millions of dollars every year turning new users into addicts and keeping current users from quitting. Through advertising and promotional campaigns, including the use of carefully crafted package designs, the tobacco industry continues to divert attention from the deadly effects of its products.
It is a proven fact that warnings on packaging are an inexpensive and powerful way to show the truth about tobacco consumption. Warnings that include images of the harm that tobacco causes are particularly effective at communicating risk and motivating behavioural changes, such as quitting or reducing tobacco consumption. Picture warnings convey a clear and immediate message, even to people who cannot read. They reduce the overall attractiveness of tobacco packages — an important function for a product whose new users are typically young and image- and brand-conscious.
More and more countries are fighting back by requiring that tobacco packages graphically show the dangers of tobacco, as called for in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. They use the MPOWER technical assistance package developed by WHO to help meet their commitments under this international treaty.
The regional launch of the World No Tobacco Day will be held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on 29 May 2009. For more information on the activities and events in Cambodia and other countries across the Region visit WPRO-2009.
WNTD 2009 Awards
The World No Tobacco Day Award is given to individuals or organizations in recognition of their outstanding contribution in developing, implementing and promoting smoke-free policies and programmes. For the 2009 awards, the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office recognizes the efforts of the following who continue to pursue work related to pictorial and graphic health warnings and who have championed the implementation of Article 11 of the WHO FCTC.
Special Director-General's Award
• Working Team on Picture Health Warning on Tobacco Products in Mongolia
Regional Awards
• Dato' Dr Hj Ramlee Bin Rahmat, Malaysia
• Department of Health and Ageing, Commonwealth of Australia
• National Center for Health Promotion, Cambodia
• National Smoking Control Programme, Singapore Health Promotion Board (SHPB)