World No Tobacco Day 31 May 2025

AHO joins other organisations and guests to celebrate World No Tobacco Day.

Every year, on 31 May, AHO marks World No Tobacco Day (WNTD), highlighting the health and other risks associated with tobacco use, and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. Tobacco use is the single most important cause of globally preventable deaths, it kills one in 10 adults worldwide.

Smoking is one of the main causes of death, it kills 6 million persons annually and is expected to increase to over 8 million annually by 2030, and in addition to that, it is one of the risk factors of many diseases.

Combating smoking is a key element of AHO response to the global epidemic of non-communicable diseases, particularly heart diseases, blood vessels, cancer, chronic kidney and diabetes and other diseases. The non-communicable diseases cause the death of around 16 million persons annually (before the age of 70).  Reducing tobacco use plays a key role in global efforts to achieve the development goal of reducing premature deaths from non-communicable diseases by one-third by 2030.

AHO has sought to develop therapeutic services to help smokers who wish to quit by:

• Opening a number of anti-smoking clinics in different regions and provinces of the Kingdom.
• Issuing the Guide for Tobacco-Cessation Services, as a guide for service providers.
• Holding many theoretical and practical courses for workers in the field.
• Providing anti-smoking drugs for citizens free of charge.
• The MOH approved mobile clinic project through which it seeks to provide easier and more widespread quitting services and increases the number of beneficiaries by reaching the places where smokers are in large numbers such as workplace, shopping centers, and recreation areas.

Facts: 

• Tobacco kills up to half of its users.
• Nearly 80% of the world’s more than 1 billion smokers live in low- and middle-income countries.
• Tobacco contains tar, which causes lung cancer and narrow respiratory tract.
• Reduces the efficiency of red blood cells in the transport of oxygen because of its containment of carbon monoxide; leading to:

1. Atherosclerosis and high blood pressure.
2. Emphysema or bronchitis.
3. Angina pectoris.
4. Optic atrophy.
5. Stroke.
6. Teeth loss.
7. Heart attack.

Objectives of the World No Tobacco Day:

• Highlight the links between the use of tobacco products and heart and other cardiovascular diseases.
• Increase awareness within the broader public of the impact tobacco use and exposure to second-hand smoke has on cardiovascular health.
• Provide opportunities for the public, governments and others to make commitments to promote heart health by protecting people from use of tobacco products.
• Encourage countries to strengthen implementation of the tobacco control measures.

Official Date:

Globally: May 31st