The Samoa Cancer Society (S.C.S) will commemorate World No Tobacco Day with a plan to clean up cigarette butts in the Apia Urban Area.

The Chief Executive Officer (C.E.O) of the S.C.S, Su'a John Ryan, told the Samoa Observer on Tuesday afternoon that this Saturday’s event relates to their "butt-it-out campaign".

This yearly campaign day against smoking, informs the public on the dangers of tobacco, criticises the business practices of tobacco companies, and highlights the World Health Organisation’s efforts (W.H.O) to eradicate tobacco.

Its ultimate goal is to inform people around the world of what they and future generations can do to reclaim their health. 

The member states of the World Health Organisation (W.H.O.) created World No Tobacco Day in 1987 to draw global attention to the smoking epidemic and the preventable death and disease it causes. 

The World Health Assembly passed a resolution deeming "a world no-smoking day” on 31 May.

Su'a says on Saturday morning they will be collecting the cigarette butts that are in the receptacles that are found at the Apia Urban Area and will be joined by the S.C.S team and volunteers.

S.C.S. with the help of the Civil Society Support Programme (C.S.S.P) has placed receptacles around urban areas for people to dispose of their cigarette butts, instead of simply discarding them.

There are 10 receptacles so far, currently located at the Savalalo market, Fugalei market, the TATTE Building, Vaiala, the Government building, the Traffic lights in front of the Government building, Levili, Vaivase tai, Motootua and Vailima.

The clean-up event on Saturday is being conducted for two reasons: to remove cigarette butts from the community and attempt to audit cigarette butts which are collected. 

Su'a said the audit would help the S.C.S. identify where people usually smoke information that can help with their awareness programmes.

He said that over the course of 2020, there had been 78 new referrals to the S.C.S.