This year’s observance of World No Tobacco Day focuses on “Gender and tobacco, with an emphasis on marketing to women”.
Although fewer than 1 out of 10 women are smokers, that still adds up to an estimated 200 million women around the world. Moreover, that number could grow, since the tobacco industry is spending heavily on advertisements that target women and associate tobacco use with beauty and liberation.
According to a recent study by the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of girls and boys who smoked was about equal in half the 151 countries surveyed. This finding is even more worrisome since young people who smoke are likely to continue in adulthood.
Evidence indicates that the prevalence rate of tobacco use among women is on the rise in some countries. Governments everywhere must take action to protect women from tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, as stipulated in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
The Convention also calls on Governments to protect women from second-hand tobacco smoke — especially in countries where women feel powerless to protect themselves and their children. As WHO data show, of the 430,000 adults who die each year from second-hand smoke, nearly two thirds are women.
Around the world, more than 1.5 million women die each year from tobacco use. Most of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. Without concerted action, that number could rise to 2.5 million women by the year 2030.
We must turn back the global tobacco epidemic. On World No Tobacco Day, I urge all Governments to address this public health threat. Tobacco use is not stylish or empowering. It is ugly and deadly.
今年纪念世界无烟日关注“性别与烟草——强调女性消费市场”。
虽然只有不到十个女人中有1吸烟者,仍有2亿名妇女在世界各地。此外,这一数字还有可能增长,由于烟草企业花巨资制作针对女性的广告,将烟草与美丽和解放。
根据最近的一项研究由世界卫生组织(世卫组织),女孩和男孩的数量大约相等的抽一半接受调查的151个国家。这个发现更令人担忧,因为年轻人在成年后很可能继续吸烟。
证据表明,烟草使用女性的流行率在一些国家正在上升。各国政府必须采取行动来保护妇女免受烟草广告、促销和赞助,规定在《世界卫生组织烟草控制框架公约》。
公约还呼吁各国政府保护妇女免受二手烟草烟雾的国家——尤其是妇女感觉无力保护自己和子女。世界卫生组织的数据显示,每年有430000成年人死于二手烟,近三分之二为妇女。
在全世界范围内,每年有超过150万妇女死于烟草使用。其中大多数死亡发生在低收入和中等收入国家。没有采取协调一致的行动,这一数字可能升至250万名妇女2030年投入使用。
我们必须扭转全球烟草流行。在世界无烟日,我敦促各国政府解决这一公共卫生威胁。烟草使用是不时尚也不强身。它是丑陋的和致命的。
