Stella Kyriakides, EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, stated that the EU has continuously prioritised tobacco reduction.
The EU Commissioner delivered the following to recognise this year’s World No Tobacco Day (WNTD), celebrated on May 31 by the WHO and public health advocates worldwide.
“We need food, not tobacco” is this year’s theme. The 2023 global campaign promotes sustainable, nutritious crop production and marketing for tobacco growers.
It also exposed the tobacco industry’s interference with sustainable crop substitution, which contributes to the world food problem.
Tobacco farming damages humans, farmers, and the world. The tobacco business hinders cigarette substitution, worsening the global food crisis.
This campaign urges governments to cease tobacco subsidies and utilise the money to help farmers convert to more sustainable crops that increase food security and nutrition.
The 2023 WNTD campaign urges governments and policymakers to strengthen legislation, create adequate policies and strategies, and generate market circumstances for tobacco farmers to switch to food crops that would improve their lives and that of their families.
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (Article 17) promotes economically viable alternatives for tobacco workers, farmers, and sellers and improves environmental and public health protection (Article 18). Countries should tighten these provisions.
Tobacco usage is the EU’s biggest preventable health risk, according to Kyriakides.
Around 25% of EU cancers are avoidable, and it is the primary cause. Tobacco kills half its users, and a robust European Health Union must change this.
We want to build a “Tobacco-free Generation” with Europe’s Fighting Cancer Plan. Despite recent cigarette control efforts, EU smokers remain excessively high. She remarked, “We must increase our efforts to cut EU tobacco usage from 25% to 5% by 2040.”
This year, the EU will advocate smoke-free environments to its Member States to reduce tobacco use and protect their population, she said.
These initiatives will help us reduce the consumption of new tobacco products and second-hand smoke in outdoor places.
This is a significant step towards safeguarding non-smokers, especially youngsters. It will also reduce EU smoking and new tobacco product consumption, especially among youth.
“World Tobacco Day reminds us to take charge of our health. “Quitting smoking helps a lot,” she said.
