President Erdoğan: We are trying to keep our youth away from tobacco

President Erdoğan met with national athletes and young people at the "Meeting with Youth on the Anniversary of the Law on the Prevention and Control of Harmful Effects of Tobacco Products" program.

Erdoğan expressed his joy at being with young people on the anniversary of the law on the prevention and control of the harmful effects of tobacco products. He said, "Through you, I send my greetings and love to all the young people living abroad and in our heartland, as well as in all 81 provinces. First and foremost, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to you, my young brothers and sisters, who have achieved significant success in various branches of sports, science, and technology, and who proudly represent our country on the international stage. I congratulate each and every one of you for setting an example for our youth with your knowledge, your horizons, your achievements, and the values you embody."

Expressing his gratitude to all members of the initiative to protect children from the tobacco epidemic and its harms, President Erdoğan continued as follows;

I particularly hope that our meeting will be beneficial for our country and nation, especially for you, our youth, the architects of Turkey's century. Strong states undoubtedly consist of strong nations. One of the first conditions for being a strong nation is having a healthy social structure. Therefore, it is our primary duty to rid our nation, especially our youth, of harmful habits, especially tobacco and alcohol, and of their clutches.

"Tobacco doesn't just affect those who use it"

Approximately 8 million people worldwide die each year from health problems caused by tobacco use. Of these, 1.2 million to 1.3 million are people negatively affected by smoke, known as passive smokers. In other words, tobacco doesn't just affect users; it affects children, women, and all segments of society exposed to secondhand smoke. In our country, approximately 100,000 people die prematurely each year due to tobacco and tobacco-related diseases.

President Erdoğan stated that they had taken a vital step by banning smoking in enclosed areas with Law No. 4207, which was revised and put into effect in 2008.

Recalling that they implemented bans on advertising, promotion, and sponsorship of tobacco products, Erdoğan said they prevented cigarette packs from being attractive with visuals, warnings, and a single color scheme.

"More than 1.5 million of our citizens benefited from treatment support"

President Erdoğan stated that active inspection teams are continuously conducting tobacco inspections across Turkey, saying, "Our Provincial Health Directorates have conducted over 42 million inspections to date. In 2025, 3,718 violations were identified during cross-inspections. We serve our citizens who want to quit smoking through 671 smoking cessation clinics across the country, providing free medication support and nicotine treatment. To date, 3.8 million examinations have been conducted. Over 1.5 million citizens have benefited from treatment support. Similarly, we are developing personalized smoking cessation plans through the Alo 171 hotline. We strive to keep our youth away from tobacco with our public service announcements, social media campaigns, and education and awareness activities."

"We will not allow our youth to be poisoned"

Erdoğan stated that they reached over 188,000 citizens with the "Quit Smoking, Change Your Life" campaign launched this year, saying, "We touched the lives of each and every one of them. We will continue to work with determination for a smoke-free Turkey. Together with all our institutions, administrations, universities, and civil society organizations like the Green Crescent , we will not allow our youth to be poisoned."