The fight against tobacco goes to the heart

Its World No Tobacco Day today.

The aim of the day is to highlight how people's health can be affected by tobacco.

The National Council Against Smoking continues to advocate for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption in South Africa particularly.

This year, World No Tobacco Day will focus on the important link between tobacco and heart disease, under the campaign theme “Tobacco Breaks Hearts”. The campaign aims to increase awareness on the link between tobacco and CVD and promote feasible actions and measures that governments and the public can take to reduce the risks to heart health posed by tobacco. World No Tobacco Day 2018 will also be an opportunity to bolster commitment and empower the cardiovascular community in the fight against tobacco.

Cardiovascular disease kills more people than any other cause of death worldwide, and tobacco use and second-hand smoke exposure contribute to approximately 12% of all heart disease deaths. Tobacco use is also the second leading cause of CVD, after high blood pressure. Despite the known harms of tobacco to heart health, and the availability of solutions to reduce related death and disease, knowledge among large sections of the public that tobacco is one of the leading causes of CVD is low.