World No-Tobacco Day

Today, the 31st of May, is World No-Tobacco Day. This day was created back in 1987 when The Member States of the World Health Organization decided to come together to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable death and disease it causes.

If you are a non-smoker or an ex-smoker you may find it interesting to read the World Health Organization's website for this year's No-Tobacco Day. If you are a smoker you probably shouldn't read it.

For everyone I have some vocabulary that you can learn related to smoking:

The colloquial names for a cigarette in British English are a cig or a fag. (Be careful with the last word in the US because in American English it is an impolite way of referring to a homosexual male). You need a lighter to light your cigarette and an ashtray for you to deposit your ash and cigarette butts in. You ask someone for a light (not a fire) when you need to borrow someone else's lighter! When you put out your cigarette you are stubbing them out. If you ever wish to stop smoking completely then you can quit or give up! If you enjoy puffing on a cigarette when you have a drink in your hand then I will give you a piece of advice for if you are ever in Britain or in the presence of British smokers. Never ask someone you don't know to give you a free cigarette. In Spain this happens all the time, but in the UK tobacco is extremely expensive and people will think you are rude and cheap if you ask to bum a cig!