International Pharmaceutical Federation Supports WHO Action To Promote Smoke-Free Environments
06/04/07
Today the World Health Organization is urging all across the globe to recognize and participate in World No Tobacco Day, held annually on May 31. This year the event will centre around the theme SMOKE-FREE ENVIRONMENTS, with WHO and associated stakeholde
Today the World Health Organization is urging all across the globe to recognize and participate in World No Tobacco Day, held annually on May 31. This year the event will centre around the theme SMOKE-FREE ENVIRONMENTS, with WHO and associated stakeholders promoting this method as the ONLY effective measure to protect individuals - including women, children, and those sharing a public or workspace â€" from exposure to and risk of second-hand smoke.
There has been a recent upsurge of global awareness of the need for tobacco-free environments, with many countries passing legislation to ban smoking in all public areas. This comes as a drastic change from times past when smoking was a social norm. FIP wholeheartedly supports WHO and partner efforts in controlling the use of tobacco in public areas through adopting smoke-free environments in all FIP related meetings, Congresses, activities and at Headquarters.
WHO reports that tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world, with the over 650 million global smokers eventually succumbing to the ills of tobacco use. Furthermore, and perhaps more devastating, hundreds of thousands of individuals die every year from disease related to exposure to second-hand smoke.
FIP IN ACTION - At Home and Around the World
In addition to promoting 100% tobacco-free environments throughout Federation activities, FIP has made great strides in raising awareness of the devastating risks of tobacco use, and how pharmacists around the world can play an integral part in curbing tobacco use and encouraging smoking cessation.
Through the development of the Global Network of Pharmacists Against Tobacco (