World No-Tobacco Day 2024

About World No-Tobacco Day:

• History:
• The Member States of the World Health Organization created World No Tobacco Day in 1987.
• In 1988, a Resolution was passed, calling for the celebration of World No Tobacco Day, every year on 31 May.
• The annual campaign is an opportunity to raise awareness on the harmful and deadly effects of tobacco use and second-hand smoke exposure and to discourage the use of tobacco in any form.
• The theme: “Protecting Children from Tobacco Industry Interference”.

About tobacco cultivation:

• Tobacco cultivation in India was introduced by the Portuguese in 1605.
• Area and production:
  • In India tobacco is predominantly cultivated in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, UP and Bihar. Gujarat accounts for 45 per cent of the area (0.13 M ha) and 30 percent of production (0.16 M t). Productivity is also highest (1700 kg ha-1) in Gujarat followed by AP.
• Types of tobacco:
  • Anand area of Gujarat grows wholly bidi tobacco. Nipani area of Karnataka grows bidi tobacco. North Bihar and Bengal area has both tabacum and rustica types used in the manufacture of hookah and to a limited extent chewing and snuff types. Madurai and Coimbatore area of Tamil Nadu grow cigars, filter, binder and chewing tobacco.
• Climate and soil:
  • Tobacco is grown when the mean temperature is 20° to 27°C.
  • When grown as a rainfed crop, it requires at least about 500 mm of well distributed rainfall during crop growing season.
  • It is not usually grown where rainfall exceeds 1200 mm during the season.

Q1: What is tobacco?

Tobacco is a plant used to make products that deliver nicotine to the body. Nicotine is the addictive drug in tobacco products, but they also contain many other chemicals that cause serious health problems.

Source: World No Tobacco Day 2024: Did You Know Smoking Does This To Your Body?