UPDATE - Tobacco epidemic presents greatest global health threat: Turkish president

UPDATES WITH TURKISH HEALTH MINISTER'S REMARKS; MINOR EDITS

By Ahmet Gencturk and Zehra Nur Duz

ANKARA (AA) - Türkiye is carrying out an effective struggle against the use of tobacco products, from banning smoking indoors to imposing a high tax burden on these products, the Turkish president said on Tuesday.

“Studies show that there is a relative decline in cigarette use in our country thanks to the measures taken by the government,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during his meeting with the youth on World No Tobacco Day at the presidential complex in the capital Ankara.

The day is marked every year on May 31 by the World Health Organization to raise awareness about the deadly dangers of tobacco.

Erdogan said: “As is known, the world has experienced the coronavirus pandemic and its grave consequences in recent years. The tobacco epidemic, however, presents the greatest global health threat as it is the leading cause of preventable death and diseases.”

“Although 7 million people across the world and 100,000 in our country die from tobacco-related diseases every year, we, unfortunately, have yet to come to the desired level in the fight against this epidemic,” the president stressed.

Türkiye’s health and youth policies are centered on fighting products such as tobacco, alcohol, and drugs that are harmful to the human body, he said. “Türkiye continues its struggle against all tobacco products and substances that cause addiction."

Meanwhile, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca called on those who are willing to quit smoking to receive professional help.

They can call the Health Ministry's hotline 171 to use professional help offered free of charge, he tweeted.

Koca said there are now 577 policlinics dedicated to struggle against tobacco abuse across Türkiye.