The ban on smoking includes all educational, health, commercial, social, cultural, sports and entertainment facilities, including the corridors of these buildings. A circular released by the Prime Ministry explains that the ban encompasses all enclosed areas of the previously mentioned venues. The ban also covers public methods of transport; this includes taxis and railway, seaway and airway transportation. If there were previously designated smoking areas within these vehicles or buildings, under the ban they will be done away with. The ban not only covers public buildings and transportation, but even portable facilities, such as circus tents, as long as they have some type of roofing.
The law does allow for specially designed smoking sections in nursing homes, asylums, prisons, and the decks of ferries used for domestic and international travel.
For buildings, these smoking zones, however, cannot exceed 10 percent of the total area. For ships, the total smoking section cannot exceed 10 percent of the area of the deck. The new law is very strict in regards to educational facilities, where smoking is banned even in the gardens and other open areas.
Smoking areas must be isolated
The designated smoking areas in buildings where they are allowed must be isolated from the rest of the building under the new law. This standard is defined as complete isolation of tobacco smoke and odor from the rest of the building. The smoking areas must also have a ventilation system and the area must be enclosed all sides. There will be warnings about the harm of smoking on the walls of smoking zones and clear signage on the doors showing that they are designated smoking areas. People under the age of 18 will not be allowed entry to these zones.
The law also introduces the smoking ban in restaurants, cafeterias and coffeehouses; however, this particular article will not go into effect until July 19, 2009. But, if these places share a space with trade centers, cinemas, airports, bus terminals, sports and entertainment centers or shopping malls, which are not allowed to have designated smoking areas, then they, too, will be subject to the ban beginning today.
The ban also affects hotels; rooms that are designated for smoking guests must have a suitable ventilation system. The rooms for smokers must be on the same floor and corridor, which will make it easier to isolate these rooms from the rest of the hotel.
The ban also covers all kinds of open air sports, art, cultural and entertainment facilities. The smoking sections in these facilities cannot be larger than 50 percent of the total area and these areas must be designed in a way that the non-smokers' section will not be affected by the smoke.
The law also bans tobacco sales to people under the age of 18. Furthermore, people below this age cannot be employed in tobacco production or sales. Selling cigarettes by the piece, which is especially common near schools, is also prohibited, a clause which aims to prevent young people from taking up smoking in the first place. Only certified places will be able to sell tobacco products and other means of tobacco sales, such as the Internet, will be banned.
All tobacco advertisements banned
The brand names of cigarettes, producer names, logos and other symbols connected to tobacco products are banned from advertisements under the law; these companies are now prohibited from sponsoring all events. All accessories and clothes with tobacco brands and producer logos are also prohibited. Tobacco producers are banned from giving any promotional materials or gifts to their tobacco sale outlets. Tobacco products are prohibited from being used in movies, song clips, advertisements and TV series.
The smoking ban also includes a requirement for all national and regional TV and radio stations, including the state-owned Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), to broadcast educational shows about the harmful effects of smoking for 90 minutes monthly, with 30 minutes of this programming between the hours of 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) will be the authorized institution to enforce this requirement.
Notices on the smoking ban will be placed in the affected buildings and the size of the lettering on this signage is required to be at least 10 centimeters in height. There must be warnings on cigarette packs about the harmful effects of smoking and the area these warnings take up must not be less than 60 percent of the face of the pack. Packs without these warnings will not be imported or sold on the market.
Adding to the cost of lighting up
The fine for those who violate the ban by using tobacco products in public areas where they are prohibited will be imposed by public officials assigned by the head of the related administrative unit.
The facilities that do not obey the regulations will first receive a written warning; if they continue to break the law the municipality committee will give them of fine of between YTL 500 and YTL 5,000. If a person smokes in a place where smoking is forbidden he or she will be fined YTL 50, and if someone is caught throwing a cigarette butt on the ground they will be fined YTL 20.
If tobacco producers or sellers offer their products for free as a promotion or if they sell cigarettes at unregistered places they will be fined from between YTL 50,000 and YTL 250,000.
Benzer Haberler 
National
