World No Tobacco Day (also referred to as World No Smoking Day or World Tobacco-Free Day) is a significant public health day observed annually on May 31st since 1987 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and its member states. This special day was established to raise global awareness about the devastating impact of tobacco and tobacco products on public health and to promote efforts aimed at preventing tobacco use.
Tobacco use causes the death of over eight million people each year worldwide, making it one of the most pressing preventable public health issues today. It is a scientifically proven fact that smoking is harmful to health and that tobacco use causes the death of approximately half of its users. Therefore, tobacco control is regarded as a strategic intervention area for improving health indicators at both individual and societal levels.
The theme of World No Tobacco Day 2025 has been determined as "Unmasking the Appeal". This theme highlights the societal and legal struggle against industry strategies that make tobacco and nicotine products appealing—especially to the youth. Flavorings, additives, and aesthetically pleasing packaging that make tobacco products more attractive are considered factors that encourage addiction and pose a threat to public health. These practices have been observed to increase product usage particularly among young users.
Within the scope of World No Tobacco Day 2025, the WHO and its member states emphasize the following key objectives:
Implementing regulations to ban flavorings and additives that make tobacco and nicotine products more appealing,
Limiting or completely banning advertising, promotion, and sponsorship activities, including in digital platforms,
Enforcing legal regulations to make product and packaging designs less attractive,
Expanding information, education, and advocacy activities to raise awareness across society.
In this context, the active participation of all relevant stakeholders, especially health professionals, is critically important for the sustainability of these efforts. Strengthening advocacy activities for tobacco control will directly contribute to reducing the demand for tobacco products among youth and preventing nicotine exposure.
In conclusion, World No Tobacco Day is a globally recognized awareness day created to draw attention to the negative effects of tobacco use on individual and public health. Promoting a tobacco-free life and ensuring the active involvement of all segments of society in this process should be considered a collective social responsibility in the protection and improvement of public health.
