World No Tobacco Day is May 31, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE      

CONTACT:  Jennifer Johnson

(410) 219-3947 (Office)

(410) 251-5379 (Cell)                                                                                                                                             

World No Tobacco Day is May 31, 2021 

(May 28, 2021 Salisbury, MD) – Every year on the 31st of May, the World Health Organization (WHO) sponsors World No Tobacco Day to educate youth about tobacco products and to encourage people who smoke to stop smoking for 24 hours.

This year’s theme is Commit to Quit on protecting young people from the marketing of big tobacco companies by exposing the ways tobacco companies market products to young people. Parents, teachers and youth leaders are encouraged to educate young people about these harmful products. According to the Federal Trade Commission, tobacco companies spent more than $8 billion in 2018 on advertising and promotion.

Some of the tactics tobacco companies use to market to children and adolescents include:

  • offering thousands of flavors such as fruit, chocolate and vanilla,
  • utilizing social media marketing and influencers,
  • using sleek, attractive designs for products and packaging, and
  • providing price discounts to retailers.

Some activities that youth and their families can do to help fight tobacco marketing:

  • create messages that counteract big tobacco advertisements/marketing and share on social media,
  • share messages from sources such as truthinitiative.org, American Cancer Society and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on social media,
  • join the chalk craze and drawing no-smoking pictures on sidewalks and driveways,
  • talk about not falling for the hype and discuss the health risks and financial impact of using tobacco products.

The quitting aspect of World No Tobacco Day is for people who smoke to use this day to practice quitting for a short time or as the start of a long-term quit attempt. Due to COVID-19, the Wicomico County Health Department’s stop smoking classes are being held virtually/ over

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the phone. Anyone who lives or works in Wicomico County may also participate in one-one confidential counseling by phone to receive education and support. Participants are eligible to receive FREE quit smoking medications including nicotine replacement patches, nicotine lozenges, or Chantix. However at this time stop smoking kits will not be distributed for this year’s World No Tobacco Day.

Quit kits usually have items to keep the mouth, hands and brain busy, and to relieve stress. A do-it-yourself quit kit for yourself or someone you care about is easy to do. Here are some ideas of what to put in a paper bag you can decorate:

  • toothpicks, straws, sunflower seeds, a bottle of bubbles
  • mints, gum mouthwash
  • rubber bands, paper clips, nail file
  • puzzles, word games
  • stress ball, tea bags
  • slips of paper with motivational/supportive statements or reasons the person wants to quit
  • pictures of the people who matter most to the person trying to quit

For more information on quitting tobacco products, contact Rhonda Bryant, at the Wicomico County Health Department at 410-430-7384. Connect with us at www.wicomicohealth.org or on Facebook, Instagram (Wicomico Health) or Twitter (@WicomicoHealth).

 


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