Artvin chosen as Türkiye’s 1st ‘smoke-free city’ under pilot project

ANKARA

Türkiye has designated its northern province of Artvin as the pilot region for a new “smoke-free city” project, part of a broader effort to curb tobacco use and protect public health.

Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu said smoking would be entirely banned in public institutions across Artvin, while expanded support, including free medication and a strengthened quit-smoking hotline, would be offered to residents seeking to quit.

He added that e-cigarettes and disposable vapes would also be strictly regulated under the program.

Türkiye first introduced nationwide anti-smoking legislation in 2009, prohibiting tobacco use in enclosed spaces such as restaurants, cafes and workplaces.

The government now aims to build on that framework with city-wide measures that can later be replicated elsewhere in the country.

Within this scope, the ministry had already launched a nationwide campaign under the theme “smoke-free Türkiye” this year, in the 16th year of the country's tobacco control law.

Professor Dr. Mustafa Aydın, president of the Turkish Anti-Smoking Association, welcomed the new “smoke-free city” initiative as “a historic step for public health.”

According to Aydın, tobacco consumption costs Türkiye an estimated $20 billion annually and contributes to nearly one-tenth of total healthcare spending.

“Smoking is no longer an individual choice but a societal crisis,” Aydın said, warning that tobacco addiction fuels heart disease, cancer and chronic illnesses.

He stressed that raising awareness, alongside stricter enforcement, is key to reducing use — particularly among youth increasingly targeted by flavored e-cigarettes and online marketing.

Aydın said Artvin’s role as the first “smoke-free city” would provide an example for other provinces.

“If local authorities, civil society and citizens act together, a smoke-free Türkiye is not just a dream but an achievable goal,” he said.

According to a 2023 study, 34.8 percent of Türkiye’s population aged 15 and over use tobacco products.

In Türkiye alone, nearly 100,000 people die annually due to tobacco-related illnesses.