A ban on all forms of tobacco product promotion is this year’s World No Tobacco Day theme, the World Health Organisation said in a statement marking the observance on 31 May.

Although a comprehensive ban on tobacco ads, promotions and sponsorship is a requirement for signatories to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), WHO said as of 2010 only 6 per cent of the world’s population benefitted from complete bans. FCTC signatories are supposed to implement comprehensive ad and promo bans outlined in Article 13 of the agreement within five years of the treaty taking effect in their countries, WHO said.