Tobacco-related Quitting and Awareness observances in US and Canada

Health observance days (listed below) like National Non-Smoking Week, Weedless Wednesday, World No Tobacco Day, and the Great American Smokeout offer powerful anchors for coordinated media campaigns and earned media outreach across North America. Programs can build timelines that “ladder up” from New Year’s quit resolutions into January observances, then to World No Tobacco Day and fall campaigns, using each date to pitch localized data, human-interest stories, and policy angles that highlight quitline impact and opportunities to quit. By aligning press releases, op-eds, social content, and partner toolkits to these dates—and tailoring stories to specific communities and disparities—NAQC and members can position quitlines as timely, trusted solutions while strengthening relationships with reporters and increasing visibility for cessation services year-round.

• National Non-Smoking Week (NNSW) – Canada (national health observance led by the Canadian Council for Tobacco Control).
• Weedless Wednesday – Canada (mid‑week focal point within Canada’s National Non-Smoking Week; observed in the third full week of January, including January 21, 2026).
• World No Tobacco Day – Global (World Health Organization observance marked in many countries, including the U.S. and Canada, on May 31, 2026).
• Take Down Tobacco National Day of Action – United States (U.S. national youth‑focused day of action against tobacco, held April 1, 2026).
• Eliminate Tobacco Use Day – United States (initiative and summit day originating with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and the UT System).
• Great American Smokeout – United States (American Cancer Society event held on the third Thursday in November; November 19, 2026).