Commit to quit
The harmful effects of tobacco use are well-established. Tobacco causes cardiovascular diseases, lung disorders, cancers, diabetes, hypertension and many other debilitating diseases, resulting in millions of deaths every year.
The COVID-19 pandemic adds one more reason to quit: smokers are more likely to develop severe disease and deaths from COVID-19 compared to non-smokers. Quitting can be challenging due to nicotine addiction. While 60% of 1.3 billion tobacco users globally have expressed their interest to quit, only 30% have access to professional tools to help them quit successfully.
This year’s World No Tobacco Day theme is Commit to Quit. The campaign aims to support 100 million people to give up tobacco while creating supportive environments for such attempts.
Take action today. Commit to quit!
Key Facts:
Estimated 1 in 4 adults in the Region currently smoke
16 out of 27 countries in the Region provide fully or partially cost-covered cessation services in some health facilities
Only 6 out of 27 countries in the Region offer cost-covered cessation services, nicotine replacement therapies, and national quit lines
Quitting toolkit
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