World No Tobacco Day is observed on 31 May each year to draw attention to the dangers of using tobacco. This year, the theme is "Tobacco - threat to our environment". According to the World Health Organization, approximately 14 grams of CO2 are emitted per cigarette over its whole life cycle.

Tobacco consumption contributes to an estimated 18% of all deaths in Bulgaria, compared to 17% in the EU, according to the European Commission's Country Health Profile 2021.

The rate of adult smoking is the highest in the EU with nearly one in three adults (29%) smoking daily. Teenage smoking is also a serious concern, especially among girls. 38% of fifteen-year-old girls reported smoking during the past month, the highest rate in the EU for girls, compared with 26% of boys, the Ministry of Health announced.