Global Action to End Smoking will join the public health community in celebrating the World Health Organization’s World No Tobacco Day on May 31. Our charitable mission is to end combustible tobacco use, which remains the leading preventable cause of death worldwide.
This year, World No Tobacco Day focuses on preventing youth addiction to tobacco and nicotine. Prevention of youth addiction to nicotine is paramount to advancing global public health. We support all efforts to protect children from becoming addicted to nicotine.
Simultaneously, we respect and have compassion for adults who smoke and understand that some cannot or will not quit. Several global health authorities, including the UK’s National Health System and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, have identified that generally, certain products that contain nicotine, including authorized heated tobacco products, e-cigarettes, and nicotine pouches can be a lower-risk alternative compared to combustible cigarettes. These authorities have agreed that for adults who cannot or will not quit smoking, switching entirely to these products can be an effective solution to reduce their long-term health risks.
We believe a robust, science-backed regulatory and enforcement system is critical to ensuring that those who have never used nicotine do not begin, and that adults who smoke have access to all the solutions available to them to quit and live longer, healthier lives.
The above can be attributed to Katherine Ellen Foley, Senior Director, Communications at Global Action to End Smoking.