DALLAS, May 29, 2020 — The American Heart Association, a global force for longer, healthier lives, is joining NCD Child, a global coalition focused on the prevention, treatment and management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in children, adolescents and young people, to commemorate World No Tobacco Day this Sunday, May 31.

The goal of this year’s global day of awareness is to debunk myths and expose big tobacco’s devious tactics to addict our children and youth through a social media campaign leveraging #TobaccoExposed.

“The American Heart Association is pleased to join with NCD Child and the global public health community in amplifying the voices of youth to expose Big Tobacco’s lies,” said Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association. “World No Tobacco Day serves as a call to action for governments, health care providers and the public health community worldwide do what is necessary to end tobacco use and nicotine addiction and save millions of lives in the process.”

“Young people are constantly bombarded with advertisements and marketing campaigns that falsely glamourize the use of tobacco and nicotine products,” said Marie Hauerslev, Chair, NCD Child. “It is our collective responsibility, as a society, to change the narrative by implementing effective policies and tactics that stand up against big tobacco companies so that the health and wellbeing of future generations are protected.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) sponsors World No Tobacco Day to highlight the health risks of using tobacco and to encourage governments to adopt tobacco control policies that help to reduce smoking and access to all forms of tobacco or nicotine products, including e-cigarettes and vaping devices.

The American Heart Association is partnering with NCD Child to engage global youth through social media to stand up to big tobacco companies and spread the message among their networks.

Youth advocates Abigail Davis, a student at the University of Arkansas, and Juan and Marco Borrego, high school students from Buford, Georgia, are lending their voices to the campaign. They are part of the American Heart Association’s You’re the Cure grassroots network, which is urging advocates to help protect youth from Big Tobacco.

Advocates participating from NCD Child include Young Leader Grace Gatera and youth Christophe Ngendahayo from Rwanda, physician and youth advocate George Msengi from Tanzania, and youth advocate Damian Juma from Kenya. They are joining youth from around the world in standing up to big tobacco companies and holding them accountable for their actions that undermine global efforts to implement evidence-based tobacco control policies. 

According to the WHO, tobacco use kills more than 8 million people around the world each year. In the United States, tobacco alone continues to be the largest preventable cause of death and disease and is closely linked to numerous noncommunicable diseases including heart disease and stroke.

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About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with us on heart.orgFacebookTwitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1. 

For Media Inquiries: 214-706-1173
Shelly Hogan: (512) 689-0869; shelly.hogan@heart.org

For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)
heart.org and strokeassociation.org

 

About NCD Child

NCD Child is a global multi-stakeholder coalition championing the rights and needs of children, adolescents, and young people who are living with or at risk of developing non-communicable diseases (NCDs). NCD Child aims to ensure that child and adolescent health is comprehensively considered and addressed for NCD prevention and control, and that it remains a priority for national governments, civil society organizations, and UN agencies. NCD Child continues to influence the global health and development discourse through training, raising awareness, supporting young advocates and initiatives at the community and national level. For more information please visit www.ncdchild.org and follow us on Twitter at @NCDChild.

Media Contact:

Jessica Cheng
Communications, NCD Child Secretariat
Jessica.cheng@sickkids.ca