Without any doubt, smoking has severe and scientifically
proven health consequences, and is one of the biggest avoidable causes of death
and disability in Turkey. Almost 85 thousand deaths were attributable to
tobacco use in 2017, up from 78 thousand in 2000. Almost all tobacco users in
Turkey are smokers of cigarettes. If the current pattern of smoking continues
in the next decade or two, more than 100 thousand people per year may die
prematurely because of smoking in Turkey. Smoking related diseases and deaths
are detrimental in a developing country such as Turkey, where human capital and
productivity are already low. Urgent attention is needed to stop and reverse
this trend.
Given the unique characteristics of the country and the
current situation in Turkey, there is a clear need for more research on
understanding why people go on smoking, start smoking at even earlier ages, do
not use cessation aids despite knowing adverse health effects, and why policies
that have worked in other countries have not worked in Turkey. TEPAV Tobacco Control
Policy Research Team has previously completed a project titled “The Economics
of Curbing Smoking in Turkey: A Scoping Review” with the support of the
Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW) and has identified several policy
issues that necessitate further research to understand aforementioned
behaviors/actions.
The following six topics are, therefore, our primary focus:
(1) Smoking by women in Turkey; (2) Cessation and health perceptions; (3)
Illicit trade, affordability and taxes; (4) Smoking by youth in Turkey; (5)
Plain packaging, and (6) Perception on combustible cigarettes and the
alternative products in Turkey. The ultimate aim of our work is to provide
policy contributions to curb and eventually end the smoking epidemic and the
economic and health burden associated with tobacco-attributable diseases and
deaths in Turkey.
Disclaimer: This study was funded with a grant from the
Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, Inc. (“FSFW”), a US nonprofit 501(c)(3)
private foundation. FSFW had no role in the planning or execution of this
study, data analysis, or publication of results.
