• March 28, 2024

Is Turkey changing tobacco stance?

 Is Turkey changing tobacco stance?

Although in recent times Turkey has implemented stringent efforts to reduce smoking rates, two recent initiatives seem to have indicated a change in direction, according to a blog on the Nicotine Science & Policy website.

The premier vaping network website in Turkey is said to have been blocked to all Turkish Internet users.

And, in violation of Article 5.3 of the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the local Philip Morris unit was joining a Turkish government delegation on a global roadshow to promote Turkey as a place to do business.

While the latter in particular seemed counterintuitive to the tobacco control measures introduced by the government, the blog said, the former was evidence of a lack of any support in Turkey for the concept of tobacco harm reduction.

According to the blog, the taxation policy adopted in Turkey had failed to produce significant reductions in smoking rates. The purchase of illicit goods was increasing at the same rate as was the decline in licit sales, which was a situation mirrored elsewhere, despite the WHO’s continued claims regarding the effectiveness of price increases in delivering lower smoking prevalence.

The blog is at: https://nicotinepolicy.net/n-s-p/6506-confusing-smoke-signals-from-turkey.