Every year on October 12, Armenia celebrates Anti-Smoking Day, also known as National Tobacco Control Day.
The Government of Armenia, at a meeting on December 18, 2008, declared October 12 as National Tobacco Control Day, noting that the fight against the tobacco epidemic is one of the priority areas of public health throughout the world, including in Armenia.
The date October 12 was chosen due to the fact that it was on this day in 2004 that the National Assembly of Armenia ratified the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
The World Health Organization proposes to reduce smoking rates using a comprehensive approach called MPOWER, consisting of six strategies:
- follow-up of tobacco consumption;
- banning smoking in public places;
- offering assistance to smokers wishing to quit tobacco use;
- warning of tobacco-related hazards;
- imposing bans on tobacco advertising and sponsorship;
- tobacco tax increases.
According to statistics, currently about 30% of the adult population of Armenia are smokers, and more than 50% of smokers are breadwinners for their families. At the same time, 5.5 thousand citizens die every year from the consequences of smoking, including passive smoking.
That is why the fight against smoking in this country is one of the most important public health problems. And the Day against Smoking itself is marked by numerous events to inform the population about the dangers of smoking and ways to quit smoking.
Let us remind you that World No Tobacco Day is celebrated annually on May 31st.