On 31 May World No Tobacco Day

Events of the Day are conducted to draw people's attention to the additional risks for their health associated with tobacco use, and to encourage to scale reduction of tobacco consumption.

In 2018 initiated by the World Health Organization, the focus of World No Tobacco Day is "Tobacco and heart Disease" and is aimed to increase the awareness on the link between tobacco and heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including stroke, which combined are the world's main causes of death.

Tobacco use is an important risk factor for the development of coronary heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease,serious diseases leading to disabilities, lifetime reduction.

Tobacco smoke effect can be compared with the influence of a dozen fabrics working simultaneously with dozens of cars. It comprises of 4000 components, many of which are pharmacologically active, toxic, mutagenic, and cancer causing. Burning, the amount of harmful substances is growing. Half of smokers belong to the most economically and demographically active age group from 19 to 45 years. From 10 to 17 lost years of life is connected with tobacco consumption. Around 80 % of our fellow countrymen are exposed to second-hand smoke.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) kill more people than any other cause of death in the whole world, and tobacco use and second-hand smoke exposure contribute to approximately 17% of all heart disease deaths. Tobacco consumption is the second leading cause of CVD after high blood pressure.

Annually, the global tobacco epidemic takes lives of over 7 million people, of which close to 900 000 are non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke. Nearly 80% of the more than 1 billion smokers worldwide live in low- and middle-income countries, where the burden of tobacco-related illness and death is heaviest.

In spite of the shocking statistics, people are not striving to quit smoking. Some of them think that it is easy to recover from tobacco addiction, they can make it any time, that is why they are in no hurry to give up this habit. Others claim smoking helps them to concentrate or, quite the opposite, calming them in the time of stress. Most of young people believe smoking is fancy, "cool", a smoking person looks more like an adult. However, medical professionals proved, that event smoking one cigarette reduces memory and activity, that means smoking can't help to calm down or concentrate.

Fashion for smoking is long gone – today healthy lifestyle is trendy.