No Tobacco Day kicks off

Smoking related illnesses kill about four million each year

By Emma Jane Kirby BBC Geneva correspondent

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched its annual World No Tobacco Day to coincide with the kick off of the World Cup.

During the tournament, billions of soccer fans will be targeted with the tobacco free sports theme, and stadiums have been banned from carrying tobacco advertising.

The WHO estimates that some four million people die from smoking-related causes each year.

Fans will only be able to smoke in designated areas

The message is loud and clear - sports and tobacco do not mix. And as the first ever tobacco-free World Cup kicks off, the WHO plans to reach as many people as possible with its policy.

Those attending the matches will not be able to buy tobacco products during play, and will only be allowed to smoke in designated areas of the stadium.

Public service announcement

For the benefit of the billions of football fans across the globe who will be watching the matches on television, the UN health body plans to make public service announcements throughout the tournament.

And it hopes the images of the numerous anti-smoking signs and posts in the stadiums will also make their point heard to those at home.

The WHO is celebrating World No Tobacco Day by announcing that the Volleyball Federation is the latest sporting organisation to turn its back on tobacco, along with football and the Olympics.

From now on, no volleyball games will accept tobacco advertising or tobacco sponsorship.