May 31
“ WE need food, not tobacco” as this year’s main theme was set by the World Health Organization to mark the World No Tobacco Day which falls on 31 May to increase awareness regarding the harmful effects of smoking and tobacco use on an individual.
Tobacco becomes a global problem as sown acreage has been increased year by year to trigger health problems for young age people throughout the world. Hence, the World Health Organization arranged awareness for global people to have knowledge about the tobacco epidemic and the preventable death and disease triggered by Tobacco. In 1988, the World Health Organization passed Resolution WHA42.19 to mark World No Tobacco Day on 31 May every year.
On 26 May, the World Health Organization stated that tobacco directly or indirectly killed some 8 million global people on a yearly basis as relevant governments allow the cultivation of tobacco plantations. But, growing crops instead of tobacco on cultivable lands can present dangers of terrible diseases. In fact, tobacco is a threat posed to unsafe food as well as intimidation to the health of smokers and the whole health system.
Use of tobacco as smoking leads to more than 8 million deaths of global people per year, including 1.2 million people as the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke. Thanks to celebrating the commemorative day, the global people can notice the dangers of using tobacco, the business practices of tobacco companies, and enchanting people around the world to claim their right to health and healthy living and to protect future generations.
Some 64,000 people in Myanmar lose their lives in suffering from diseases related to the use of tobacco-related materials. Hence, the country yearly loses some K2.6 trillion in consumption of tobacco and smoking, which amount of finance is equal to 3.3 per cent of the Gross Domestic Products of the country, according to the report on investment in cigarette and tobacco control issued in December 2018.
Global countries change tobacco plantations with more than 600 million trees on 3.5 million hectares of land plots. Tobacco industries use 22 billion litres of water and emit greenhouse gases which are equal to 84 megatonnes of carbon every year. As a result, these industries worsen global warming and climate change. That is why it is necessary to strive for benefiting the people through agriculture and livestock farms instead of tobacco plantations for shaping a brighter future for the State.
