On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, 31 May 2012, ICN encourages its members to collaborate with other health professionals and government bodies for the total ban of tobacco use and smoking in public places and to lobby for changes in environmental health policy such as smoke-free public places. We also encourage tobacco users to consult their health care practitioner for help in quitting. Smoking is one of the prime causes of non-communicable disease, along with, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and the harmful use of alcohol.
Tobacco facts from WHO:
- Tobacco use is one of the leading preventable causes of death.
- Tobacco use is the single most important risk factor for cancer
- Nearly 6 million people are killed by tobacco each of which more than 600,000 are people exposed to second-hand smoke.
- Unless we act, it will kill up to 8 million people by 2030, of which more than 80% will live in low- and middle-income countries.
ICN is committed to:
- A total ban on tobacco use.
- Preventing and eliminating tobacco use by nurses and nursing students.
- Implementing a smoke-free policy within ICN, including encouraging national nurses associations (NNAs) to adopt a smoke free policy for their premises, meetings and other events.
- Working with other international governmental and non-governmental organisations, and health professions’ organisations to combat the tobacco epidemic.
- Working with NNAs to support implementation of the WHO Frame Work Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
Relevant ICN publications:
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