Volunteers handed out cherries to passers-by in exchange for cigarettes

On the occasion of May 31, World No Tobacco Day, a conference was held today at the Institute for Public Health of the Federation of BiH in cooperation with the Red Cross of the Federation of BiH, the PROI Association and the Partnership for Public Health, writes the news agency Patria.

The slogan "Let's stop the illegal trade of tobacco products" aims to draw attention to the public health significance of the illegal trade of tobacco products, which threatens the economies of countries around the world.

Aida Ramić-Čatak, representative of the Federal Ministry of Health, stated that data from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate that every tenth cigarette produced ends up on the illegal market.

- As of June 1, the price increase for cigarettes came into effect with the aim of reducing the demand for tobacco products - said Ramić-Čatak.

Namik Hodžić, Secretary General of the Red Cross of the Federation of BiH, said that on the occasion of this day, the Red Cross of the Federation of BiH produced a promotional CD titled "Dad, quit cigarettes" and a promotional spot intended for younger generations to realize how harmful smoking is.

Volunteers from the PROI Association and the Partnership for Public Health organized an action of releasing black balloons, releasing them every eight seconds, to send a message to the public that one person dies every eight seconds in the world due to tobacco product consumption.

Volunteers handed out cherries to passers-by today in exchange for cigarettes, as well as blue ribbons of support, writes Patria.