Every Four Minutes One Person Loses Their Life Due to Tobacco Use in Turkey
According to official data, approximately 125,000 people lose their lives every year in Turkey due to health problems linked to tobacco use.
According to data from the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health, tobacco use leads to the deaths of more than 7 million people worldwide every year, and approximately 125,000 people annually in Turkey. This situation reveals that every 4 minutes, one person loses their life to cigarettes in Turkey.
Variety of Tobacco Products and Health Destruction
While cigarettes constitute the most common tobacco product worldwide, waterpipe tobacco, cigars, rolling tobacco, pipes, and heated tobacco products are also among those consumed. All of these forms cause serious damage to health, negatively affecting not only users but also those exposed to smoke.
World Health Organization Data and Organ Damage
According to updated data from the World Health Organization, tobacco harms almost every organ in the body. Cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, decreased fertility, a weakened immune system, and premature death are among these harms.
Loss of Life on Global and National Scales
While more than 7 million people lose their lives worldwide every year due to problems caused by tobacco use, more than 1.6 million of these deaths consist of individuals exposed to secondhand smoke. In Turkey, according to information from the Ministry of Health, approximately 125,000 people lose their lives each year due to tobacco.
Secondhand Smoke and Lung Cancer Rankings
Out of the tobacco-related deaths in Turkey, 25,000 are individuals who do not use cigarettes themselves but are exposed to secondhand smoke. On the other hand, Turkey ranks first in the world in terms of the frequency of lung cancer in men and associated deaths.
Chemical Substances and Their Effects on the Body
Tobacco use is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases as well as more than 20 types of cancer. While particles in cigarette smoke reach the lungs and cause damage, carbon monoxide reduces the blood's oxygen-carrying capacity, and the smoke released into the environment contains approximately 4,000 chemical substances.
Free Support Offered to Quit Smoking
For citizens in Turkey who want to quit smoking, free support and follow-up services are provided under the leadership of the Ministry of Health through the ALO 171 Smoking Cessation Helpline, MHRS (182), and smoking cessation outpatient clinics.