The City Council of Dénia, from the Department of Addiction Prevention, promotes one more year the campaign around May 31, World Day without tobacco, which already celebrates 19 editions. The campaign material, which has as its motto Not smoking helps the internal environment, has been devised and illustrated by the young Claudia Navarro and Mariela Ballester, 3rd year ESO of the IES Historian Chabás.
This year we want to influence the great addictive potential of nicotine and how it can easily generate dependency. Other main messages are the fundamental role of adults as an example, to prevent young people from starting to use tobacco and that, whoever wants and decides, can be able to abandon this habit.
The objective of the campaign is to raise awareness and sensitize the population about the harmful nature of tobacco, the effects and risks that it entails and warn of the high risk of habituation and addiction; in addition to advancing in coherence with the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO). Among some of the worrying data provided by the international institution, the difficulty of quitting the habit stands out: around 780 million people say at some point that they want to quit smoking, but only 30% have access to the tools necessary to achieve it. Therefore, efforts must be increased to provide citizens with these resources.
Another of the principles of the WHO that the municipal campaign of the Day without tobacco is adjusted is to prevent the start of the tobacco habit, also taking into account that it is necessary to protect all people from exposure to smoke.
The World No Tobacco Day campaign will be present Monday, May 31, in the educational centers and municipal buildings of Dénia, la Xara and Jesús Pobre. In the three institutes, in the courtyard hour, the young people will find informative stands.
From the UPCCA of Dénia it is recalled that people who want to quit smoking have professional and medical support available at health centers.
Smoking today
- It is a public health problem that causes illness, disability and death (tobacco smoke contains more than 7.000 toxic substances, of which 69 are carcinogenic).
- It is the leading cause of preventable mortality in the world: 7 million people
per year they die from tobacco-related diseases.
- In Spain some 69.000 people die annually.
- Each cigarette reduces life by 7 minutes.
- 48 hours after quitting smoking, the senses of taste and smell improve.
- At 72, respiratory function improves.
Not drinking helps individuals, families and society in general. I do not know anyone who has run over, caused an accident, assaulted his family, etc. by smoking more than necessary. Alcoholism is a social scourge that is not talked about.