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20110531 World No Tobacco Day - Heard of it?

Smokers continue smoking in spite of World No Tobacco Day. Jerusalem, Israel. 31 May 2011.

Man smokes cigar never having heard of World No Tobacco Day. Jerusalem, Israel. 31 May 2011.<br />
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In 1989 the World Health Organization (WHO) called for the observance of World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) annually on May 31. Across the globe, WNTD encourages a 24-hour period of abstinence from all form of tobacco consumption. It intends to bring to people’s awareness the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke.<br />
<br />
Since 2003, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) has been adopted by 172 countries and the European Union. According to a WHO press release, among other measures, the parties are obliged over time to: protect people from exposure to tobacco smoke, ban tobacco advertising and sales to minors, put large health warnings on packages of tobacco, ban or limit additives to tobacco products, increase tobacco taxes and create a national coordinating mechanism for tobacco control.<br />
<br />
WHO advocate tobacco use is one of the biggest contributors to the epidemic of noncommunicable diseases - such as heart attack, stroke, cancer and emphysema - which accounts for 63% of all deaths, nearly 80% of which occur in low- and middle-income countries. Up to half of all tobacco users will eventually die of a tobacco-related disease.<br />
<br />
Many governments use WNTD as the start date for implementing new smoking bans and tobacco control efforts. Just a few days ago the Israeli government agreed on new legislation further limiting smokers in public areas by prohibiting smoking in outdoors locations including bus and train depots and outdoor restaurants and cafes.<br />
<br />
But, not one of the photographed smokers in this story had heard anything about World No Tobacco Day.

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Man smokes cigar never having heard of World No Tobacco Day. Jerusalem, Israel. 31 May 2011.

In 1989 the World Health Organization (WHO) called for the observance of World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) annually on May 31. Across the globe, WNTD encourages a 24-hour period of abstinence from all form of tobacco consumption. It intends to bring to people’s awareness the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke.

Since 2003, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) has been adopted by 172 countries and the European Union. According to a WHO press release, among other measures, the parties are obliged over time to: protect people from exposure to tobacco smoke, ban tobacco advertising and sales to minors, put large health warnings on packages of tobacco, ban or limit additives to tobacco products, increase tobacco taxes and create a national coordinating mechanism for tobacco control.

WHO advocate tobacco use is one of the biggest contributors to the epidemic of noncommunicable diseases - such as heart attack, stroke, cancer and emphysema - which accounts for 63% of all deaths, nearly 80% of which occur in low- and middle-income countries. Up to half of all tobacco users will eventually die of a tobacco-related disease.

Many governments use WNTD as the start date for implementing new smoking bans and tobacco control efforts. Just a few days ago the Israeli government agreed on new legislation further limiting smokers in public areas by prohibiting smoking in outdoors locations including bus and train depots and outdoor restaurants and cafes.

But, not one of the photographed smokers in this story had heard anything about World No Tobacco Day.

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