Plain Packaging Enacted

Turkey’s plain tobacco packaging law takes effect today, reports The Daily Sabah. Manufacturers have until Jan. 5, 2020, to clear branded stock.

The new regulation mandates cigarette manufacturers use a single, standard pack without logos, graphics or similar signs promoting the product. The warnings and photos must take up at least 85 percent of the packaging surface.

The move is part of a broader crackdown on tobacco that started in 2009.

While smoking has been declining in Turkey, consumers still spend $15 billion per year on cigarettes while the government spends $10 billion to treat smoking-related illnesses, according to the Fight Against Smoking Association.

In requiring plain packaging, Turkey joins countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada.