Girls and boys for change: Tobacco control now

WHO has selected “Women and tobacco use” as the theme for World No Tobacco Day 2010 to:

highlight this serious, growing problem throughout the world

emphasize the increasing use of non-cigarette forms of tobacco, such as shisha and smokeless tobacco among women

stress how women are being increasingly targeted by tobacco companies

draw attention to the alarm expressed in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) at "the increase in smoking and other forms of tobacco consumption by women and young girls worldwide".

Tobacco is the only legal consumer product that kills when used exactly as intended by the manufacturer. World No Tobacco Day will help to save more lives and to limit the damage caused by tobacco use.

The key messages of this year’s World No Tobacco Day are:

All of us have a responsibility to prevent the tobacco epidemic from becoming as bad among women as among men.

Women have a right to be protected from the harms of tobacco use through measures called for in the WHO FCTC.

All countries have a moral obligation to ratify and fully implement the WHO FCTC to save lives.