Des nouvelles de la Turquie

Cigarette use increases again despite smoking ban


Although cigarette use diminished in Turkey in the months after the law banning smoking in closed public areas went into effect on May 19, data show that tobacco consumption increased again the last months of 2008.


Data from the Turkish Tobacco and Alcohol Market Regulatory Agency (TAPDK) revealed that the total number of cigarettes sold in 2007 in Turkey was 107.46 billion; in the first 10 months of 2008, 90.11 billion cigarettes were sold. While 40.17 billion cigarettes were consumed from May to August 2007, this number decreased to 39.43 billion in the same months of 2008.

Recent TAPDK data have revealed that in the last months of 2008, when the impact of the global financial crisis started to be felt in Turkey, cigarette consumption also started to increase. According to data, when compared with September to December 2007, when 34.99 billion cigarettes were sold, that number increased to 35.35 billion in the last four months of 2008.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, released in February 2008, showed that Turkey is one of 10 countries in which two-thirds of all tobacco consumed in the world is consumed. According to data provided by the Health Ministry, nearly 20 million people smoke in Turkey. A law expanding a smoking ban in Turkey to include most enclosed areas, including taxis, ferries and shopping malls, went into effect on May 19, 2008. Outdoor smoking was also prohibited in locations such as stadiums and playgrounds. A ban on lighting up in bars, restaurants and coffeehouses will be implemented in 2009. Smoking was already prohibited on buses, airplanes and in larger offices as part of an attempt to reduce smoking and the effects of secondhand smoke in the country.



13 February 2009, Friday