(MENAFN- Emirates News Agency (WAM)) A UAE paper has said that as the world marked World No Tobacco Day on Sunday, the one noble message from several organisations and governments across the globe was: "Say no to tobacco."
"The idea behind marking the World No Tobacco Day is to draw attention to the widespread prevalence of tobacco use and its dangerous health effects," said The Gulf Today in an editorial on Tuesday.
However, over the past several years, the day has been met with both enthusiasm and resistance from governments, smokers, tobacco growers and the tobacco industry.
According to the World Health Organisation, WHO, tobacco kills nearly six million people a year globally and more than 600,000 of them are non-smokers who die from indirect smoke inhalation. It warns that the smoking habit could lead to the death of over 8 million people a year by 2030. Nearly 80 percent of the world's one billion smokers live in low- and middle-income countries, where the burden of tobacco-related illness and death is heaviest.
This year, the WHO has themed the day as "Stop Illicit Trade of Tobacco Products", indicating that the illicit trade in tobacco products is a global concern from several aspects, including health, legal, economic and governance and the fight against corruption.
It is believed that eliminating the illicit trade in tobacco would generate an annual tax windfall of $31 billion for governments, improve public health and help cut crime.
"What is consoling is that the world is waking up to the seriousness of the issue. For example, China's capital Beijing began imposing its toughest ban on smoking in public places from Monday in hopes of stemming a looming health crisis," the daily added.
For a country where 300 million people smoke, this surely is a landmark initiative. Smoking in Beijing is now prohibited in all indoor public places, including offices, shopping malls and airports, as well as at outdoor stadiums, school grounds and public parks. Beijing's main airport terminal will shut its three smoking rooms.
The health risks associated with tobacco use are well known. As experts point out, much greater action is needed to curb the tobacco epidemic if the global target to cut tobacco consumption by 30 percent by 2025 to reduce premature deaths from non-communicable diseases is to be met.
"There is a dire need on the part of the global community to initiate more effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. Also, efforts should be intensified to end the illicit trade in tobacco products," concluded the Sharjah-based daily.
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