Announcements: The 33^rd World No-Tobacco Day — May 31, 2020

Tobacco use poses an enormous threat to public health worldwide, killing more than eight million people every year (1). In 1987, the World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) designated April 7, 1988 as World No-Tobacco Day (WNTD) (2) to encourage all persons worldwide who smoke or chew tobacco to quit for at least 24 hours. Extensive press coverage of this event stimulated and identified a range of policy and health education activities linked to the event, and the specific theme was “Tobacco or Health: Choose Health” (3). The second WNTD was held on May 31, 1989 and emphasized the theme “Women and Tobacco—The Female Smoker: At Added Risk” (4). From then on, May 31 has been recognized as WNTD and gradually became a year-long campaign beginning on that day. This day aims to discourage tobacco users from consuming tobacco and to encourage governments, communities, groups, and individuals to become aware of the problem and take appropriate action.

The WNTD theme changes every year, and for the 33^rd WNTD arriving on May 31, 2020, the theme of this year’s WNTD will be “The secret’s out — if your product killed 8 million people each year, you’d also target a new generation.” In China, Healthy China 2030 targeted “reducing the smoking prevalence of people over 15-years-old to 20% by 2030”. Protecting new generations from tobacco use is a crucial link to achieve this goal, and although much progress has already been achieved, there is much more work to be done.