World No Tobacco Day - Expert Comment Available

TORONTO, May 27, 2013 /CNW/ - May 31 is World No Tobacco Day, a day designated by the World Health Organization to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and to advocate for strategies to reduce tobacco use.

The theme for World No Tobacco Day 2013 is: ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. Evidence shows that banning tobacco advertisements can lead to reductions in the number of people starting and continuing to smoke.

Tobacco use is the most preventable cause of death around the world, killing 1 in 10 adults. 4.8 million Canadians smoke and tobacco use remains Ontario's number one drug problem.

Dr. Peter Selby, the Clinical Director of the Addictions Program and Head of the Nicotine Dependence Clinic at CAMH, is available to discuss the risks of tobacco, the effect of advertising, ways to quit and treatment options.

For tips on how to quit smoking, click here.

For more information about CAMH's Nicotine Dependence clinic, click here.

Watch this video on what works and what doesn't work when quitting smoking.

CAMH's Nicotine Dependence Service is taking part in a Twitter chat on May 31, inviting people to share their smoking success stories using the hashtag #QuitChat.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada's largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital, as well as one of the world's leading research centres in its field. CAMH combines clinical care, research, education, policy development and health promotion to help transform the lives of people affected by mental health and addiction issues. CAMH is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, and is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Collaborating Centre.

SOURCE: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Media contact: Michael Torres, CAMH Media Relations [phone] or [email protected]