The relationship between humans and smoking has ancient origins: some pre-Columbian civilisations used it to communicate with deities, so smoke held a sacred function. Today, clearly, this meaning no longer exists, although smokers probably still regard cigarettes as sacred in their own way.

Experts consider smoking akin to a drug addiction precisely because it generates dependency, yet it is tolerated by governments because it produces substantial revenues through state monopolies.

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The objective of World No Tobacco Day

On 31 May, World No Tobacco Day is celebrated, established in 2003 by the WHO, the World Health Organization. The aim of the day is to combat a habit linked to more than seven million deaths annually worldwide. Smoking is indeed one of the leading causes of numerous chronic-degenerative diseases affecting the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

The theme of the 2018 edition is "Tobacco breaks hearts. Choose health, not tobacco". Smoking has a major impact on the cardiovascular health of people around the world: it can cause coronary heart disease, heart attack and peripheral vascular disease. Despite the serious damage that tobacco use causes to the heart, not everyone is aware of the problem — the lungs are often cited, but they are not the only organ threatened by cigarette use.

This year too, the WHO underlines the importance of at least 40 nations acceding to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, a document already signed by 35 countries and the European Union.