19.08.2026 11:10
Türkiye has become the world leader in cigarette consumption with an average of 17.1 cigarettes per person per day. In the country, one in every two men and one in every four women over the age of 18 smoke. Prof. Dr. Şevket Özkaya, a chest diseases specialist, stated that cigarette use continues to be a significant public health problem worldwide and expressed that the consumption rates in Türkiye have reached 'alarming levels'.
Turkey has become the world leader in cigarette consumption with an average of 17.1 cigarettes per person per day. In the country, one in two men and one in four women over the age of 18 smoke.
WE ARE NOT LEAVING THE TOP
Noting that cigarette use continues to be a significant public health problem worldwide, Chest Diseases Specialist Prof. Dr. Şevket Özkaya stated that consumption rates in Turkey have also reached alarming levels. Özkaya said, "Cigarettes, which the World Health Organization describes as 'the fastest-spreading and longest-lasting epidemic in the world,' have been decreasing in developed countries in recent years, while consumption is increasing every year in developing or underdeveloped countries like ours. Although nicotine addiction can develop frequently due to social, economic, and sociocultural factors, we now know that Turkey does not give up the top spot in cigarette consumption worldwide. According to research, Turkey ranks first in the world with 17.1 average daily cigarette consumption per person. This figure is 15.7 in Greece, 15.5 in Israel, and 15.4 in Japan and Austria."
8 BILLION PACKS SOLD IN JUST ONE YEAR
Drawing attention to the scale of total cigarette consumption in Turkey, Özkaya stated that approximately 8 billion packs of cigarettes were sold last year, saying, "Our Minister of Health recently gave statistics regarding cigarettes. Turkey ranks second in the world in cigarette consumption, and approximately 8 billion packs were sold last year. This means that if 80 million people live in Turkey, everyone has smoked at least 100 packs of cigarettes. Including newborn babies, it equates to everyone currently living in Turkey having smoked 100 packs in the last year."
100 MILLION PREMATURE DEATHS IN THE 20TH CENTURY
Stating that cigarettes are a serious health problem not only on an individual but also on a global scale, Prof. Dr. Özkaya noted that cigarette use caused the premature death of approximately 100 million people during the 20th century.
Özkaya said, "Smoking has been one of the world's biggest health problems for decades. During the 20th century, it caused the deaths of approximately 100 million people, most of them in today's wealthy countries. The health burden of smoking is now shifting from high-income countries to low- and middle-income countries. Some estimates suggest that one billion people could die from tobacco in the 21st century. In Turkey, one in two men on average smokes. One in four women over the age of 18 also smokes. These are quite high figures."