Republic of Korea to host first ever tobacco-free World Cup, UN health agency says

South Korea will ensure a tobacco-free 2002 World Cup when the event kicks off on 31 May 2002, which is also the United Nations-designated World 'No Tobacco' Day, the UN health agency announced today.

In a statement, the World Health Organization (WHO) said the decision would be formally confirmed during the visit of Han Seung-soo, the Republic of Korea's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, to the agency in Geneva.

The theme of the 2002 WHO tobacco control campaign is "Tobacco-Free Sports." In that context, the health organization is working with the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) and the World Cup organizing committees in making the World Cup a complete tobacco-free event. The World Cup will be co-hosted by the Republic of Korea and Japan.

"The eventual aim is to make all football matches everywhere tobacco-free events: free from tobacco sales, consumption, promotion and sponsorship," the WHO statement said.

This first ever tobacco-free World Cup will join the many other tobacco-free sports events supported by WHO. The 2002 Olympics and Paralympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City will also be tobacco-free, a policy that WHO helped craft along with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).