World No Tobacco Day is observed

World Tobacco day was declared by the World Health Organization in 1987. The day is observed by abstaining from tobacco for a period of 24 hours around the World .The objective is to encourage smokers to stop smoking altogether. The theme for World No Tobacco Day 2013 is: ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. Statistics show that a third of South Africans are heavy smokers, with the average smoker spending R 400 a month on cigarettes. Laws discouraging smoking were introduced over the years and the rules seem to progressively get stricter. The latest proposal is the introduction of plain packaging of cigarettes set to begin in the near future.