The Vanuatu Ministry of Health is commemorating today 31st May 2022 the global campaign for “World No Tobacco Day” whereby the World Health organization and its member states around the world are appealing smokers to quitting smoking to date as a strong initiative for Free smoking and personal health gain.
While the Global theme is focusing Environmental Impact of tobacco use product, Smoking habit has contributed negatively to the COVID 19 current Global Pandemic killing millions of human lives through respiratory diseases.
All public Health champions are marking World No Tobacco Day this year by focusing on the many ways in which Tobacco threatens the environment we live in.
To support the young people Vanuatu this year , the Ministry health is continued to raise the awareness on the social health impact of tobacco use program via these activities:
- Production of 3 short video cessation to post via social media. All are about fact about smoking abuse, diseases related and approach to quit smoking behaviors.
- Working with the WHO office to conduct a qualitative survey analysis of the economic advantage of investing in tobacco consumption, prevention and cost.
- Provide for smokers tobacco clinical cessation
Despite above is not in with this global theme , Tobacco growing poison our water, soil, beaches and city streets with chemicals, toxic waste, cigarette butts, including microplastics, and e-cigarette waste.
The harmful impact of the tobacco industry on the environment is vast and growing adding unnecessary pressure to our planet’s already scarce resources and fragile ecosystems.
Tobacco kills over 8 million people every year and destroys environment, further harming human health, through the cultivation, production, distribution, consumption, and post consumer waste.
However, COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the vulnerability of smokers, who have up to a 50% higher risk of developing severe disease and death from the virus, a fact that has triggered millions of them to want to quit tobacco. But quitting can be difficult.
The tobacco industry has also invested heavily to “greenwash” their environmentally damaging practices by reporting environmental impact and funding environmental corporate social responsibility projects and organizations.
Their smoke screen is only able to work due to lack of objective data as well as limited and inconsistent legislation at international and local levels.
Reducing tobacco consumption needs to be identified as a key lever for achieving all of the Sustainable Development Goals, not just those directly related to health.
This year campaign calls on government and policy makers to step up legislation, including implementing and strengthening existing schemes to make producers responsible for the environmental and economic costs of tobacco product waste.