31st May. World No Tobacco Day
World No Tobacco Day 2025 is a global campaign observed every year on 31st May. The World Health Organisation (WHO) established this day to raise awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco, both in terms of consumption and exposure to second-hand smoke.
According to data provided to the Basque Youth Observatory by the Basque Government's Department of Health, in 2023 (latest available data), 17.4% of young people aged 15-29 in the Basque Country had smoked tobacco daily in the month prior to being asked.
Daily tobacco consumption has been declining steadily since 2008. The percentage of young people who regularly use tobacco has fallen from 36.4% in 2008 to 17.4% in 2023.
There has also been a significant decline of daily tobacco consumption in the total population in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, but not as marked as among young people.
The percentage of young men and young women who smoke tobacco daily is similar (17.0% and 17.8%, respectively). Daily tobacco use is more common among 20–29-year-olds than among 15–19-year-olds.
These data are directly linked to Goal 3 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals Agenda (‘Good health and well-being’) and, more specifically, to target 3.5: ‘Strengthen prevention and treatment of narcotic drug abuse, including substance abuse and harmful use of alcohol’.
These data and many others related to the health of young people in the Basque Country can be consulted in the online statistics of the Basque Youth Observatory, specifically in the Health and Mortality section: Aplicación de Gestión del Observatorio de Juventud / Youth Observatory Management Application.
