No smoking day
Encyclopedia
No Smoking Day is an annual health awareness day
Awareness day
A national or international awareness day is a date usually set by a major organisation or government to commemorate a medical research or ethical cause of importance on a national or international level.- February :* World Cancer Day - 4 Feb...

 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 that is intended to help smoker
Smoker
Smoker is a noun derived from "smoke"/"smoking" and may have the following specialized meanings:* Someone who smokes tobacco or cannabis, cigarette substitutes, or various other drugs* Smoking , smoker, an apparatus for smoking...

s who want to quit smoking. The first No Smoking Day was on Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday, in the calendar of Western Christianity, is the first day of Lent and occurs 46 days before Easter. It is a moveable fast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter...

 in 1984, and it now takes place on the second Wednesday in March.

Each year, the campaign is promoted with a theme in the form of a short phrase. In 2010, this theme was "Break free", encouraging smokers to break free from the chains of cigarettes and quit on No Smoking Day. The visual, a pair of hands breaking a chain of cigarettes empowers smokers to quit the addiction and make a positive change. The 2011 theme is "Time to quit?".

Research conducted by GfK NOP following the 2009 campaign found that 1 in 10 smokers quit on No Smoking Day.

The campaign is run by a charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...

 of the same name, which is based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 and has four full-time staff. It is funded by a coalition of governmental and voluntary sector organisations with an interest in health.

No Smoking Day's President is entrepreneur, TV personality, and anti-tobacco campaigner Duncan Bannatyne
Duncan Bannatyne
Duncan Walker Bannatyne, OBE is a Scottish entrepreneur, philanthropist and author. His business interests include hotels, health clubs, spas, media, TV, stage schools, property and transport. He is most famous for his appearance as a business angel on the BBC programme Dragons' Den...

 OBE. Bannatyne, an ex smoker who famously took on British American Tobacco at its AGM in April 2008, supports the charity by being the celebrity spokesperson for the campaign as well as encouraging the public and other celebrities to participate.
Bannatyne, who has vowed to suspend his children's trust funds if he finds them smoking commented: "My views on smoking are well known. I feel that No Smoking Day is the perfect vehicle to push the smokefree message in a non judgemental way - I'm proud to be a supporter."

No Smoking Day's new Ambassador is Lemar
Lemar
Lemar Obika , professionally known simply as Lemar, is an English recording artist. Obika has had a run of chart success in the UK, Europe and Australia...

,
he commented: "This year's campaign message is 'Break Free'. If, by supporting No Smoking Day, I can help one person to break free from the chains of their smoking addiction, then I believe that my role as an Ambassador will have been worthwhile. I think that No Smoking Day is the perfect opportunity to provide hope and help to smokers who want to quit."
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