What is World Smokefree Day?
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has been promoting World No Tobacco Day since 1988. In New Zealand, we recognise the day as World Smokefree Day and have delivered it at a national level since 1998.
When is World Smokefree Day?
World Smokefree Day is celebrated globally each year on 31 May.
While the ‘day’ itself is 31 May, many communities throughout New Zealand chose to celebrate for a longer duration – such as a week or throughout the entire month of May.
How is the World Smokefree Day theme chosen?
The WHO sets the international theme. Though this is often not relevant to New Zealand, so a theme is chosen to support current tobacco control priorities in our country e.g. second-hand smoke, quitting.
Why is World Smokefree Day significant?
Tobacco is a topical issue in New Zealand. It is the single leading cause of preventable death and kills 5,000 New Zealanders each year.
World Smokefree Day is an opportunity to the highlight the tobacco control goals and priorities in the community.
How is World Smokefree Day celebrated in New Zealand?
Regions form a team, in order to most efficiently and effectively deliver World Smokefree Day at a local level. Teams are formed on a geographical basis, as opposed to an organisational basis (one team per region). Each team interprets the theme to suit their local priorities.
Teams organise and participate in a range of activities and are very good at generating local media stories. Click here to see what teams did to celebrate the most recent World Smokefree Day.
How can I become involved in World Smokefree Day?
We encourage you to get in touch with your local team and discuss how you can work with them. Click here to find your local region’s contact details.
It is most useful to have a coordinated approach to World Smokefree Day rather than each agency doing something in isolation – this will avoid duplication and wastage and ensure messages have a wider reach. We encourage early planning of World Smokefree Day activities.
What’s the story with resources?
Each year a range of resources that carry the World Smokefree Day imagery are produced to support community activities. Each team is provided with a selection of free resources (limited budgets dictate the number of resources provided.) Teams then decide best to allocate these free resources.
Resources are also available for purchase in a four-five week window in early February till mid-March. The reason for this timing is to allow sufficient time for the resources to be produced and despatched around New Zealand, to arrive before the end of April.
It is important to remember that World Smokefree Day can carry-on without resources. It’s useful to think of resources (especially free resources) as a bonus rather than an entitlement.
Who organises World Smokefree Day in New Zealand?
World Smokefree Day is led by the Health Sponsorship Council (HSC), with support of the National Tobacco Control Working Group. The HSC has three main activity areas in delivering World Smokefree Day on a national level: overseeing a theme and focus suitable for the New Zealand context and audiences; developing and disseminating World Smokefree Day resources; leading national communications for World Smokefree Day.