Türkiye’s Health Ministry is finalizing draft regulations that would restrict the visibility of tobacco products in shops and expand smoking bans in public spaces, including parks, gardens, and playgrounds, as part of efforts to reduce tobacco use and limit children’s exposure. According to local reports, cigarettes would no longer be displayed behind cash registers, and the draft also includes updates to indoor smoking laws and measures addressing electronic cigarettes and other newer tobacco products. Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu said the proposal, which also calls for expanded smoking cessation services, will soon be submitted to parliament. Türkiye already enforces broad smoke-free laws, plain packaging, and advertising bans, though more than a quarter of the population still smokes.
Tag: Türkiye
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Türkiye Looking to Increase Smoking Controls
Türkiye plans to further tighten its already strict tobacco control regime, with Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu saying legislative work to expand smoking bans in enclosed spaces is nearing completion and expected to reach parliament soon. Memişoğlu said the measures aim to strengthen the fight against tobacco addiction by reinforcing smoke-free environments while scaling up smoking cessation clinics and mobile outreach teams nationwide. The move builds on Türkiye’s long-standing controls, including comprehensive indoor smoking bans, plain packaging, advertising prohibitions, and e-cigarette restrictions, as smoking rates remain above a quarter of the population despite years of enforcement.
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Türkiye Rolls Out Mobile Clinics in Anti-Tobacco Campaign
Türkiye launched a nationwide campaign against tobacco, sending mobile cessation clinics and roving control teams to all 81 provinces, taking prevention and treatment directly to the public in city centers, villages, campuses, and industrial zones. The Health Ministry said teams will raise awareness about tobacco’s dangers, promote resources such as the 171 Quitline and the “Green Detector” app, and connect smokers ready to quit with doctors in mobile clinics.
Branded “Smoke-Free Türkiye,” the drive is part of the country’s 2024–2028 action plan to curb tobacco use, which remains at 34.8% of people aged 15 and older.
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Türkiye Launches First Smoke-Free City in Artvin
Türkiye designated the Black Sea town of Artvin as the country’s first pilot “smoke-free city” in its latest effort to curb tobacco use, Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu announced. The initiative will ban smoking in public institutions, expand support for the national quit-smoking hotline ALO 171, and provide free medication for those trying to quit. Authorities also plan strict enforcement against electronic cigarettes and puff products.
The project is expected to be rolled out nationwide if successful. According to the Turkish Anti-Smoking Association, Türkiye spends about $20 billion annually on cigarettes, while tobacco-related diseases account for roughly 9% of health expenditures.
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Türkiye Launches New Anti-Smoking Campaign
The Health Ministry has launched a new nationwide campaign under the theme “Smoke-Free Türkiye” as part of its ongoing efforts to combat tobacco addiction, which “remains one of the leading preventable causes of death both globally and in Türkiye.” The campaign, introduced in the 16th year of the country’s tobacco control efforts, aims to reduce smoking rates and encourage a healthier lifestyle.
Backed by a comprehensive action plan for 2024–2028, it focuses on raising awareness, providing support services, and, especially, protecting young people from the harmful effects of tobacco products.