The prohibitions and punishments have only a deterrent effect and may be inconclusive if they are not supported by comprehensive strategies such as raising cigarette prices and establishing medical clinics to help people give up smoking, experts speaking to Today's Zaman claimed.“The ban is just one level of the six-level strategy to fight smoking which the World Health Organization (WHO) advises countries to implement,” said Professor Elif Dağlı, the chairwoman of the National Cigarette and Health Committee, adding that the recent smoking ban aims to protect nonsmokers from the harmful effects of cigarette smoke but that there ought to be more regulations and initiatives against smoking.
“Establishing medical clinics serving smokers who want to give up smoking will be another important step. Furthermore, the government should facilitate the purchase of medicines dealing with overcoming cigarette addiction. In Turkey, the warnings on the cigarette packets and the ban of advertisements have been implemented quite successfully despite some confrontations with tobacco producers,” stated Dağlı. Complaining about cigarette producers Dağlı said since all the attention put on the new ban the government has faced resistance from some companies, who are breaking advertising restrictions.
When asked what the next step is in the fight against smoking, Dağlı underlined the high prices of cigarettes and compared the prices in Turkey to those in northern Europe: “The same packet costs 5 or 6 euros in northern Europe, whereas in Turkey it can be bought for just 2 euros. This is one of the big obstacles to preventing both lower-income people and children from smoking.” She also touched on the taxes on cigarette producers, saying the taxes should be increased and lastly noted that if these initiatives are carried out seriously, cigarette consumption will decrease in the coming years.
Agreeing with Dağlı on her critique of tobacco prices in Turkey, Tuba Durgut, project manager of the Green Crescent (Yeşilay) organization, stated that Turkey has achieved something unimaginable for developing countries with the new smoking ban but noted the significance of lower tobacco prices. “Turks are buying gas at the highest prices in the world, whereas we consume tobacco at one of the lowest prices in the global market,” said Durgut and added that if a new pricing system leading to an increase in tobacco prices comes into effect, it is estimated that 8 percent of regular smokers will stop smoking.
Praising the efforts of the government and Parliament, Durgut attached great importance to people's awareness of their rights regarding secondhand smoke, arguing that the ban will remain just on paper if inspections are not made regularly and if people are reluctant to warn those who smoke in indoor areas. Durgut also noted that the Green Crescent will launch a campaign to draw attention to the rights of secondhand smokers. “We will teach secondhand smokers how to defend their rights to health by reporting their grievances to the state authorities. We offer people a phone number and a Web site to inform us about those who do not obey the smoking restrictions.”
