Every year on May 31st, countries worldwide celebrate World No Tobacco Day, an initiative launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1987 to raise awareness about tobacco’s harmful effects and the preventable deaths and illnesses it causes. After the first “world no-smoking day” in 1988, the WHO established this as an annual event that has become central to global tobacco control efforts¹.
The 2025 campaign theme, “Unmasking the Appeal: Exposing Industry Tactics on Tobacco and Nicotine Products”, aims to reveal the strategies tobacco companies adopt to make their products attractive². Tobacco industry deliberately designs products with appealing flavors, stylish packaging, and bright colors that often resemble candy or feature cartoon characters, specifically targeting younger audiences through digital media and other channels². These marketing techniques often lead to early tobacco experimentation and potential lifelong addiction with serious health implications².
Therefore, this year’s campaign endeavors to educate the public about these manipulative industry practices, to push for comprehensive policy reforms, including flavor bans and advertising restrictions, and to reduce product demand, especially among youth². By exposing these deceptive tactics, World No Tobacco Day 2025 seeks to diminish the allure of tobacco products and foster improved public health outcomes worldwide².
The common use of tobacco and related products is indeed one of the primary public health challenges today and a leading cause of preventable diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and respiratory illnesses.
There is a fundamental and irreconcilable conflict between the tobacco industry’s interests and public health policy interests. The tobacco industry produces and promotes a product that has been proven scientifically to be addictive, to cause disease and death, and to give rise to a variety of social ills, including increased poverty³.
A Public Health Challenge: Understanding Tobacco Addiction
Smoking is a major public health concern, harms nearly every organ of the body, and causes many diseases, as well as secondhand smoke exposure.
Tobacco poses an enormous public health threat, killing over 8 million people annually worldwide, with 7 million deaths from direct use and 1.3 million from secondhand smoke exposure³. Despite monitoring efforts and awareness campaigns, only 74 countries have implemented comprehensive smoke-free laws, while comprehensive cessation services exist in just 32 countries³.
The difficulty in quitting stems largely from nicotine addiction: when nicotine reaches the brain, it triggers pleasure-inducing chemicals that reinforce continued use, and with repeated exposure, the brain adapts, creating dependency³. Upon quitting, withdrawal symptoms emerge – irritability, anxiety, concentration difficulties, and intense cravings – though these typically improve after several weeks³.
Quitting also requires adapting daily routines previously associated with smoking. Specific activities like taking breaks, drinking coffee, or finishing meals become triggers that prompt smoking urges3 . Emotions similarly trigger cravings, whether stress, sadness, happiness, or relaxation³. The quitting process involves learning to navigate both routines and emotions without cigarettes³.
Despite these challenges, the encouraging reality is that millions of people have successfully quit smoking permanently. Most former smokers report significant improvements in their overall well-being after maintaining their smoke-free status for a while, confirming that while difficult, breaking free from smoking habits is both possible and ultimately rewarding³.
The Benefits of Quitting Smoking: A Comprehensive Overview
Quitting smoking offers health benefits at any age, regardless of how long or how much one has smoked4. The body begins a remarkable healing journey immediately after the final cigarette, with positive changes that continue for years⁴.
Cardiovascular health improves as inflammation markers decrease, good cholesterol levels rise, and the progression of atherosclerosis slows, leading to coronary heart disease risks reduction starting from the first and second year and gradually diminishing stroke risk⁴. These cardiovascular benefits extend even to those already diagnosed with heart conditions, lowering the risk of future cardiac events⁴.
The respiratory system similarly undergoes significant recovery, with breathing function improving as symptoms like coughing and wheezing subside⁴. For individuals with existing conditions like COPD or asthma, cessation slows disease progression, preserves lung function, and enhances treatment effectiveness⁴.
Beyond the cardiorespiratory system, smoking cessation has proved to reduce cancer risk across twelve different types, with potential survival benefits even for those already diagnosed⁴.
Particularly noteworthy are the benefits for reproductive health. Women who quit before or early in pregnancy significantly reduce risks of complications like low birth weight and preterm delivery, protecting both maternal and fetal well-being⁴.
The positive impacts extend beyond individual health to include social and economic dimensions, reducing healthcare costs, financial burden on former smokers, and protecting others from harmful secondhand smoke exposure⁴.
Collectively, these multisystem benefits can lead to a longer life expectancy, significantly improving both longevity and quality of life⁴.
World No Tobacco Day 2025 represents a crucial opportunity to combat the tobacco industry’s tactics while promoting cessation efforts worldwide. By understanding both the challenges of addiction and the substantial benefits of quitting, individuals and communities can work together toward a healthier, tobacco-free future.
The Menarini Group joins in marking this day to highlight the health benefits of quitting smoking. Crush the habit. Before it crushes you.
Sources:
- https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-no-tobacco-day
- https://www.who.int/news/item/11-11-2024-no-tobacco-day-2025–unmasking-the-appeal
- https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tobacco
- https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/about/benefits-of-quitting.html#cdc_generic_section_2-health-benefits-of-quitting-smoking