Break free: Choose to breathe not to smoke

WHO has selected “Second-hand smoke” as the theme for World No Tobacco Day 2001 to:

disseminate the message that tobacco use and exposure to second-hand smoke are both threats to the health of humanity

uncover how tobacco companies have conspired to stop efforts to control tobacco and to influence the acceptance of tobacco use by the public

encourage countries to undertake a careful study of the articles of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control  and participate actively in the negotiations relating to it.

Tobacco is the only legal consumer product that kills when used exactly as intended by the manufacturer. World No Tobacco Day will help to save more lives and to limit the damage caused by tobacco use.

The key messages of this year’s World No Tobacco Day are:

Second-hand smoke is a real and significant threat to public health.

There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke.

Tobacco companies publically deny that second-hand smoke causes death and disease, despite confirmation by their own scientists.

All countries have a moral obligation to adopt the WHO FCTC to save lives.