World No Tobacco Day 2024
School Health Program
Providing Free Healthcare Services in Government Schools in Karnataka state, India.
The theme of World No Tobacco Day 2024 is "Protecting children from tobacco industry interference" to protect future generations and ensure that tobacco use continues to decline. This year, attention is directed towards the alarming trend of the tobacco industry's targeted marketing towards youth. Through extensive social media and streaming platform campaigns, young people are increasingly exposed to the allure of tobacco products, posing a significant threat to their health and well-being. Country surveys consistently show that children aged 13–15 years in most countries are using tobacco and nicotine products.
Smoking among youth remains prevalent and is increasing in certain nations. More than 38 million young people aged between 13 and 15 are using some form of tobacco. In 2022, scenes featuring tobacco increased by 110% in popular recent shows among 15- to 24-year-olds, often portraying smoking as glamorous and cool. According to Truth Initiative young people are up to 3x more likely to start vaping when exposed to smoking imagery on screen.
More than 38 million young people aged between 13 and 15 are using some form of tobacco. Within the WHO European Region, tobacco use among 13 to 15-year-olds stands at 11.5% for boys and 10.1% for girls, indicating a substantial challenge in curbing youth tobacco consumption.
World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) on 31 May 2024 will be driven this year by the theme ‘Protecting children from tobacco industry interference’. The focus is on mobilising international efforts to enact stronger regulations that shield youth from harmful tobacco products and deceptive advertising practices.