Imagine a world without tobacco. Imagine being able to breath freely wherever you are — at your workplace, at a restaurant, out walking in the park. Imagine being able to walk into a building without being exposed to secondhand smoke on your way inside.

On May 31, for World No Tobacco Day, smokers are asked to abstain from tobacco. Tobacco addiction is a global epidemic that is increasingly ravaging countries and regions that can least afford its toll of disability, disease, lost productivity and death.

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death. This means we can stop the death and disease that come from tobacco and exposure to secondhand smoke if we can get tobacco users to quit.

Try it for this one day. If you need help to quit, call the Alabama Tobacco Quitline, 1-800-Quit-Now. Callers receive free counseling and four weeks of free nicotine patches if medically eligible and in counseling. Call 1-800-784-8669 for more information.

Tina Findley, RN