World No Tobacco Day 2022

BY KANYAPHAT SETCHODUK

The global campaign for World No Tobacco Day 2022 established by WHO and public health champions around the world is “Tobacco’s threat to our environment” which aimed to raise public awareness about the impact of the entire tobacco on towards the world environment.

Tobacco causes much more complex impacts on our planet resulting in pollution and damage in all stages of the tobacco life cycle from start to finish involving deforestation, depletion of the planet of water, fossil fuel, and metal resources, and toxic waste products into the air, water, and soil.

Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) included secondhand smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, hundreds of toxics, and about 70 cancer-induced substances. Scientific evidence has proved that secondhand smoke causes numerous health problems among infants, children, pregnant women, and adults. Moreover, secondhand smoke produces air pollution called PM2.5, especially in indoor places e.g., homes, workplaces, and hospitality and entertainment venues.

In addition, cigarette butts are the single littered item in the world. Cigarette butts are the poisons of wildlife and children, ignite a destructive deadly fire, damage the environment, landscape, and ecosystem, and consume massive expenses for cleanup and disposal.

All Assumption University people including administrators, instructors, staff, and students can help to promote a tobacco-free environment by eliminating the secondhand smoke from all kinds of tobacco products e.g., manufacturing cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and water-pipe cigarettes, proper management of tobacco waste product such as cigarette butts and promote tobacco cessation in current smokers.

Quit smoking to save the entire world!!!

If you wish to quit smoking, please scan QR code provided below and add AU_QuitSmoking or click https://forms.gle/zDusisCsxvcSAJ8e7

References:

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH). (2022). Tobacco and the environment. Retrieved on May
      2, 2022 from https://ash.org/pollution/

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. (2017). Environmental Tobacco Smoke
      (ETS): General information and health effects. Retrieved on May 2, 2022 from
      https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/psychosocial/ets_health.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Health effects of secondhand smoke.
      Retrieved on May 2, 2022 from
      https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/secondhand_smoke/health_effects/index.htm

Nafees, A. A, Taj, T., Kadir, M.M., Fatmi, Z., Lee, K., & Sathiakumar, N. (2012). Indoor air
      pollution (PM2.5) due to secondhand smoke in selected hospitality and entertainment venues of
      Karachi, Pakistan. Tobacco Control, 21:460-464.

World Health Organization Reginal Office for Europe. (2022). World no tobacco day 2022:
      Tobacco’s threat to our environment. Retrieved on May 2, 2022 from
      https://www.euro.who.int/en/media-centre/events/events/2022/05/world-no-tobacco-day-2022-tobaccos-threat-to-our-environment

 

What does our Community say?

"4,211,962 cigarette butts were collected on beaches and waterways globally in 2019. The chemicals leaching from a single cigarette butt after 24 hours in a liter of water released enough toxins to kill 50 percent of the saltwater and freshwater fish exposed to it for 96 hours. (Source: truthinitiative.org")

Mooktapa Jongvilaikasem
Student, MSME

“The only thing that tobacco brings along with it is a disease which later converts into death and despair for your loved one. Save yourself and your family from a disaster like this by quitting tobacco.”

Chuntakorn Rojanasiriwat
President of Assumption University Student Organization

Most of the ingredients present in cigarette butts, on the other hand, are non-biodegradable and take years to break down.

Thitiporn Sirisoontornlert
Current Student

As widely known, cigarettes lead to many serious health problems. Their social impacts are so huge that they deteriorate the environment around the world. One of the examples is the cigarette butts can leach toxic chemicals into water given the fact that they are non-biodegradable. This will directly harm aquatic organisms which in turn affect human health when consuming them. Moreover, as the cigarette butts cannot be recycled or safely disposed, incineration might be the only solution. This undoubtedly causes air pollution. In a nutshell, harms from cigarettes extend way beyond human health, but the whole world is acutely affected.

Therefore, cessation of smoking can be considered as the utmost promonient solution to solve these problems.

Ms. Sireethorn Sangkanchanavanich
Student, Bernadette de Lourdes School of Nursing

Smoking is a leading cause of preventable premature morbidity and mortality. The problem of smoking is growing especially in the issue of reducing the age of new smokers. Smoking is harmful to the health of oneself and those closest to. Moreover, smoking causes air pollution and the toxic residue from cigarette butts is waste that takes a very long time to decompose and directly affect the environment. Assumption University has given importance to environmental management, in the occasion of the World No Tobacco Day on May 31st of this year, the Board of Sustainable Environment Management would like to support in the campaign smoking cessation to maintain a sustainable environment.

“Smoking cessation is the best way to reduce harm and prevent health from various diseases and result in our world having a good environment that is sustainable forever”.

Mr. Kawis Surapraphan
Head, Operation and Maintenance Department
Office of the Vice President for Administrative Affairs
Chairman of the Environmental Sustainability Management Committee

World No Tobacco Day's Theme

  • 2022- Tobacco’s threat to our environment (บุหรี่ทำลายสิ่งแวดล้อม)
  • 2021- Commit to quit (เลิกสูบ ลดเสี่ยง คุณทำได้)
  • 2020- Protecting youth from industry manipulation and preventing them from tobacco and nicotine use ("ติดบุหรี่ ติดโควิด เสี่ยงตายสูง" #เลิกสูบลดเสี่ยง)
  • 2019- Tobacco burns your lungs (บุหรี่เผาปอด)
  • 2018- Tobacco Break Heart (บุหรี่ตัวร้าย ทำลายหัวใจ)
  • 2017- Tobacco - a threat to development (บุหรี่ ภัยคุกคามต่อการพัฒนา)
  • 2016- Get ready for plain packaging (ซองบุหรี่แบบเรียบ ลดภัยเงียบ ลดโรค)
  • 2015- Stop illicit trade of tobacco products (หนุนกฏหมายบุหรี่ใหม่ เพื่อคุณภาพชีวิตคนไทย)
  • 2014- Raise taxes on tobacco (บุหรี่ : ภาษียิ่งเพิ่ม คนตายยิ่งลด)
  • 2013- Ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (ไม่ใช้ ไม่รับ ไม่สนับสนุนโฆษณายาสูบร้าย ทำลายชีวิต)
  • 2012- Tobacco Industry Interference (จับตา เฝ้าระวัง ยับยั้งอุตสาหกรรมยาสูบ)
  • 2011- The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (พิทักษ์สิทธิตามกฏหมาย มุ่งสู่สังคมไทยปลอดบุหรี่)
  • 2010- Gender and tobacco with an emphasis on marketing to women (หญิงไทยฉลาด ไม่เป็นทาสตลาดบุหรี่)
  • 2009- Tobacco Health Warnings (บุหรี่มีพิษ ร่วมคิดเตือนภัย)
  • 2008- Tobacco - Free Youth (เยาวชนรุ่นใหม่ ร่วมใจ ต้านภัยบุหรี่)
  • 2007- Smoke Free-Environtments (ไร้ควันบุหรี่ สิ่งแวดล้อมดี ชีวีสดใส)
  • 2006- Tobacco: Deadly in any form or disguise (บุหรี่ทุกชนิดนำชีวิตสู่ความตาย)
  • 2005- Health Professionals and Tobacco Control (ทีมสุขภาพร่วมใจ ขจัดภัยบุหรี่)
  • 2004- Tobacco and Poverty ( A Vicious Circle ) (ครอบครัวปลอดบุหรี่ จะมั่งมีและแข็งแรง)
  • 2003- Tobacco free films tobacco free fashion (ภาพยนตร์ปลอดบุหรี่ ส่งผลดีต่อเยาวชน)
  • 2002- Tobacco Free Sports - Play it clean (กีฬาปลอดบุหรี่ ส่งผลดีต่อสุขภาพ)
  • 2001- Second-Hand Smoke : Let's Clear the Air (เห็นใจคนรอบข้าง ร่วมสร้างอากาศสดใส ปลอดจากภัยควันบุหรี่)
  • 2000- Tobacco kills don't be Duped (บุหรี่คร่าชีวิต อย่าหลงผิดตกเป็นเหยื่อ)
  • 1999- Leave the pack behind (อนาคตมีคุณค่า เมื่อบอกลา...เลิกบุหรี่)
  • 1998- Growing up without tobacco (คนรุ่นใหม่ไม่สูบบุหรี่)
  • 1997- United for a Tobacco - free world (ผนึกกำลังเพื่อสังคมปลอดบุหรี่)
  • 1996- Sport and the arts : play it tobacco free (ศิลปะและกีฬาไม่พึ่งพาบุหรี่)
  • 1995- Tobacco costs more than you think (บุหรี่ก่อความสูญเสียมากกว่าที่คุณคิด)
  • 1994- The media against tobacco (ทุกสื่อร่วมใจต้านภัยบุหรี่)
  • 1993- Health services , our window to a tobacco - free world (บุคลากรสาธารณสุขร่วมสร้างสรรค์สังคมปลอดบุหรี่)
  • 1992- Tobacco free work places : Safer and healthier (ที่ทำงานปลอดบุหรี่ สุขภาพดี ชีวีปลอดภัย)
  • 1991- Public places and transport : Better be tobacco free (สถานที่สาธารณะและยวดยานปลอดบุหรี่)
  • 1990- Growing up without tobacco (เติบโตอย่างสดใส ห่างไกลจากภัยบุหรี่)
  • 1989- Women and Tobacco : Added risk (พิษของบุหรี่ต่อสตรี ยิ่งมีมากกว่าบุรุษ)
  • 1988- Between tobacco and the health , choose health (บุหรี่หรือสุขภาพ ต้องเลือกสุขภาพ)