World No Tobacco Day, coordinated by WHO, was observed on May 31 with " Commit to Quit" as the theme for 2021. "This yearly celebration informs the public on the dangers of using tobacco, the business practices of tobacco companies, what WHO is doing to fight the tobacco epidemic, and what people around the world can do to claim their right to health and healthy living and to protect future generations," stated the WHO website.
The WHO has warned that the tobacco use could kill one billion people during this century, therefore, it stressed that 'recognizing the importance of reducing tobacco use among women, and acting upon that recognition, would save many lives.'
On the occasion of the observance earlier, WHO had said that controlling the epidemic of tobacco among women is an important part of any comprehensive tobacco control strategy. "Women comprise about 20% of the world's more than 1 billion smokers. However, the epidemic of tobacco use among women is increasing in some countries. Women are a major target of opportunity for the tobacco industry, which needs to recruit new users to replace the nearly half of current users who will die prematurely from tobacco-related diseases," it was stated.
WHO has recognized 'the need for gender-specific tobacco control strategies' along with 'full participation of women at all levels' for tobacco control, policy-making and implementation .
WHO has been urging governments to pay particular attention to protecting women from the tobacco companies' attempts to lure them into lifetimes of nicotine dependence.
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