This
year’s theme for World Tobacco Day, which takes
place annually on 31 May, is
"Tobacco Health
Warnings". Tobacco health warnings appear on packs
of cigarettes and are among the strongest defenses against the
global epidemic of tobacco. Warnings that contain both pictures and
words are considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the
most effective at convincing people to quit.
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 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.
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. More and more countries are fighting back by requiring
that tobacco packages graphically show the dangers of
tobacco.
In response to this threat and the demand from countries for
action, the World No Tobacco Day 2009 campaign focuses on the
following main message:
Health warnings on tobacco packages that combine text and pictures
are one of the most cost-effective ways to increase public
awareness of the serious health risks of tobacco use and to reduce
tobacco consumption.
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. But despite this fact, 9 out of 10
people live in countries that do not require warnings with pictures
on tobacco packages.
Nicotine is a highly addictive substance. Warning people about its
true risks can go a long way towards reducing tobacco addiction.
Requiring warnings on tobacco packages is a simple, cheap and
effective strategy that can vastly reduce tobacco use and save
lives. Now is the time to act.
UICC supports World No Tobacco Day and encourages its members take
an active role in global tobacco control through the WHO
initiative, the UICC ‘I love my smoke-free
childhood’ campaign and Globalink.
Visit www.who.int/tobacco for more information on how you can get involved in this
year’s World No Tobacco Day. There are already a
variety of resources available online for download to help promote
the initiative, including: posters, banners, brochures, flyers,
press materials and print ads.
FACT BOX*
• In Canada, 58% of smokers said
the warnings made them think more about the health effects of
smoking.
• In Brazil, 67% of smokers said
the warnings made them want to quit, and 54% said they made them
change their opinion about the health consequences of
smoking.
• In Singapore, 28% of smokers
said the warnings made them smoke fewer cigarettes, and one out of
six said they avoided smoking in front of children as a result of
the warnings.
• In Thailand, 44% of smokers
said the warnings made them "a lot" more likely to quit over the
next month, and 53% said they made them think "a lot" about the
health risks.
*source:
www.who.int/tobacco
       
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