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I love my smoke-free childhood

Around 700 million children - almost half of the world's children - breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke, particularly at home.* On 4th February 2008, World Cancer Day directed a simple message to parents:

"Second-hand smoke is a health hazard for you and your family. There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke. Give your child a smoke-free childhood."

Highlights of the campaign to date:

  • World Cancer Day 2008 generated media coverage all over the world
  • A comprehensive toolkit, including fact sheets, posters and an expert report was produced
  • A competition was held to design a universal symbol for smoke-free environments for children. The winners were announced at the UICC World Cancer Congress in Geneva in August 2008.

Individuals and organizations around the world endorsed the campaign statement: “All children are entitled to a safe smoke-free environment in which to live and play. The governments and peoples of the world should take all steps necessary to ensure this right.”

* World Health Organization, International Consultation on Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) and Child Health (Geneva: WHO, 1999, not a formal publication of the organization); Tobacco and the Rights of the Child (Geneva: WHO, 1999).

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