Nominations open for World No Tobacco Day awards recognising outstanding work in reducing tobacco use

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has opened nominations for awards recognising individuals and organisations working to reduce tobacco use.

Every year, May 31 is marked as World No Tobacco Day by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The day is also celebrated in the Maldives.

The theme for this year is “World No Tobacco Day 2026: Unmasking the Appeal,” the HPA said in an announcement on Monday.

The agency said it will present a World No Tobacco Day Award as part of this year’s activities.

The awards aim to acknowledge the efforts of individuals and organisations involved in tobacco control and to encourage continued work in reducing tobacco use.

The awards are open to individuals, organisations and agencies that have contributed to tobacco control and protecting society from the harms of tobacco, particularly in line with this year’s theme.

Applications can be submitted by email using the application form before the office closes on the second day of next month.

The announcement included the application form, a list of award categories and the criteria for evaluation. The awards include recognition for outstanding work in tobacco control, an NGO award and a youth award.

It is noteworthy that the current government has taken several measures to reduce tobacco use. These include increasing duties on cigarettes, banning vaping and prohibiting the sale of tobacco to children born after a specified year.