More bans due in Turkey

Turkey is expected to toughen its already-tough anti-tobacco regulations, according to a story by Ali Mustafayev for AzerNews.

In 2008, Turkey introduced legislation banning smoking in workplaces and enclosed public places, and on public transport.

Now, the Health Ministry has announced that the ban on smoking might be extended to private cars.

And the Ministry reportedly said that a common standard would be applied to imported and locally-made tobacco products. ‘A tobacco producing company’s brand and logo cannot occupy more than five percent of the area on a pack of tobacco product,’ the ministry was quoted as saying.

A new wave of restrictions on tobacco products were introduced from January 2015 under which all tobacco products in Turkey are sold in black packs so as to be less attractive.

Nevertheless, smoking in Turkey is extremely popular at all levels of society. ‘Turkish people consider smoking almost as a favorite pastime,’ the writer said.

Turkey has a smoking incidence of about 31 percent, and, in 2015, cigarette consumption there was 125 billion, a figure that includes contraband cigarettes and loose tobacco.