Smokers in Turkey can no longer light up in bars and cafes, after the government extended a smoking ban to all public places.
The ban has long been enforced in many European countries, but with more than 40 per cent of adults, or 25 million people, smoking in Turkey, many there may find it a hard habit to break.
Al Jazeera’s Emma Hayward reports.
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Smoking in Turkey can almost be considered a national pastime. But the Turkish government is now taking firm action to get Turks to break off their long love affair with tobacco.
That smoking is a health hazard is commonly accepted these days in Turkey, yet that does not dissuade millions from indulging a nicotine habit. More than half the adult male population puffs away on a regular basis. Figures compiled by the Turkish Thoracic Association suggest that smoking’s healthcare toll could approach $30 billion, while Turks spend an estimated $20 billion annually on tobacco. The government raises roughly $8.5 billion in revenue every year through tobacco taxes.
The healthcare factor is just one element pushing Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government to restrict smoking. Erdogan personally is said to be an inveterate foe of tobacco.
In 2008, legislation was introduced banning smoking in taxis, shopping centers, and large-scale workplaces. The prohibition went surprisingly smoothly. On July 19, phase two of the ban took effect, prohibiting smoking in restaurants, bars and cafes. The move brought Turkey into line with legislation on the books in Western Europe and North America.
In the months leading up to the ban, low-key and ineffective opposition came mainly from restaurant and bar owners, who argued that getting rid of cigarettes would harm business. On the first full day of the cigarette ban, patrons at cafes and tea houses in working-class areas of Istanbul were seen smoking outside on sidewalks. Suleyman, a cafe owner, said he was happy that the ban had been introduced, but not all of his customers shared that opinion. “We’re more at risk from the cars going by. The exhaust fumes are much more dangerous for your health than a cigarette,” groused one customer.
Suleyman said he had removed ashtrays that morning, placing them in a black plastic bag. He expressed hope the ashtrays would remain stashed away, but he admitted he wasn’t going to throw them away just yet. Compliance with the ban seemed to be going well on day one, but Suleyman hinted that he’s waiting to see how authorities enforce the ban. If enforcement is lax, he might bring ash trays back, especially if his customers agitate for their return.
Tobacco companies have so far been quiet publicly about the ban. That’s not necessarily surprising, given that Prime Minister Erdogan has termed the need to restrict smoking to be “as important as the struggle against terrorism.”
Anti-smoking advocates have high hopes for phase two. The percentage of adult smokers, they point out, has fallen from 63 percent to 47 percent since a ban on tobacco advertising was introduced in 1996. Public support for curtailing smoking likewise remains high in Turkey — roughly 90 percent of those polled favor the government’s tobacco-related action. But many still question whether the restaurant and bar ban will be strictly enforced. As one Turkish non-smoker put it; “Turks don’t like rules and laws much, and if it’s not a good law it will just get ignored; but I really hope they enforce this one.”
Authorities have tried to put punishments in place that will encourage compliance. Restaurant and bar patrons caught smoking will pay roughly $40 for a first offense. Owners will also face sanctions; first they will receive a written warning, followed by an approximately $400 fine for a repeat violation. If a particular venue continues to be the scene of violations, it will receive a $4,000 fine. Unrepentant violators will ultimately be subject to closure. Authorities in some areas are utilizing the established municipality hotlines that tipsters can call to blow the whistle on individual and institutional violators.
In connection with introduction of phase two, officials are also conducting a campaign designed to get Turks to quit smoking. A website has been established where would-be quitters can post photographs of themselves, along with a pledge to kick their habits.