World No Tobacco Day 2022

31 May 2022

The harms of tobacco use are well established. Tobacco kills over 8 million people every year, and it also destroys our environments needed for health and wellbeing. Through cultivation, production, distribution, consumption, and post-consumer waste, tobacco harms our environment. It destroys our forests, uses our safe drinking water and pollutes our air, and the harmful impacts are continuing to grow adding unnecessary pressure to our planet’s already scarce resources and fragile ecosystems.

This year’s  World No Tobacco Day theme is “Tobacco: Threat to our environment.” The campaign aims to raise awareness among the public about the negative environmental impacts of tobacco – from cultivation, production, distribution and waste.  

The campaign also serves as a call to action, engaging relevant stakeholders, particularly youth, to advocate for effective policies that will hold the tobacco industry accountable and prevent environmental harms caused by tobacco.

Take action to save lives and the environment

Learn more about actions individuals, youth, policymakers, civil society, academics and international organizations can take to protect our health and the environment. 

  • For tobacco users who want to quit, learn about available  cessation support and services
  • For policymakers, find out more about the  MPOWER measures to strengthen and advance implementation of tobacco control
  • For youth and environmental groups, you can join the call to action by using this sample letter to help raise awareness among policy-makers and your community about the environmental impacts of tobacco

World No Tobacco Day 2022 Webinar

WHO in the Western Pacific will host a World No Tobacco Day webinar: "The Devastating Environmental Impact of Tobacco" on 26 May 2022, 10:00 - 11:30 (GMT+8 Manila time). 

Resources

 

Related link

Four organizations and individuals in the Western Pacific Region recognized for tobacco control contributions

Campaign materials

The tobacco life cycle destroys our environment over and over

E-cigarette waste: A threat to the environment

What is greenwashing?

Tobacco’s threat to the environment: post consumer waste (Pacific Islands)

Tobacco’s threat to the environment: post consumer waste (Western Pacific)