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HPA supports World No Tobacco Day campaign for 100% smoke-free environments
Today is World No Tobacco Day (WNTD), and the Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland (HPA) is supporting the campaign for all environments across the world to be smoke-free.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world and half the people who smoke regularly today – about 650 million people – will eventually be killed by tobacco.1
Dr Brian Gaffney, Chief Executive of the HPA, said: “It is apt that this year’s theme for WNTD is 100% smoke-free environments, given that it is just one month since smoke-free legislation was introduced in Northern Ireland. Smoke-free is becoming the new norm and from 1 July this year all regions across Ireland and the UK will be smoke-free and more countries and areas around the world are already smoke-free or are due to follow.
“For more than 40 years scientific evidence has shown the damaging health effects of exposure to second-hand smoke. Reports from countries that have already gone smoke-free, such as Ireland, New Zealand and Norway, have shown that comprehensive smoke-free laws improve health, reduce tobacco consumption, are popular with both non-smokers and smokers and have no negative economic impact on the hospitality sector. One hundred per cent smoke-free environments is the only answer.”
In Northern Ireland smoking is the single greatest preventable cause of premature death and avoidable illness and claims around 3,000 lives every year. One person dies every two weeks here due to inhaling other people’s smoke.2, 3
Globally, almost half of the world’s children are breathing air polluted by tobacco smoke and at least 200,000 workers die every year due to exposure to second-hand smoke at work.1
For further information about smoke-free legislation and information on how to quit smoking go to www.spacetobreathe.org.uk
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Notes to the editor
WNTD was created in 1987 and this year’s theme is ‘smoke-free inside – create and enjoy 100% smoke-free environments’. Further information about WNTD is available from www.who.int/tobacco/wntd
For media enquiries contact:
Rosie McGaughey or Jenny Dougan at the HPA on Tel: 028 9031 1611.
1 WHO - www.who.int/tobacco/wntd accessed 22 May, 2007.
2 The UK smoking epidemic: deaths in 1995. London: Health Education Authority, 1998.
3 BMA - www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/humancosttobacco accessed 25 April, 2007.
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