Turkey has ranked second among the countries of the world in terms of cigarette consumption. Last year, approximately 8 billion packs of cigarettes were sold in the country. This was reported by the Kazinform agency, citing data from Turkey's Minister of Health, Kemal Memişoğlu.

According to the minister, about 46 percent of men in Turkey smoke. The widespread use of tobacco products is indicated as one of the main factors negatively affecting public health.

According to official data, 34.7 percent of deaths in Turkey are related to circulatory system diseases, and 16 percent are related to malignant and benign neoplasms. Kemal Memişoğlu noted that smoking is also among the important causes increasing the risk of developing these diseases.

Other major health risk factors mentioned included a sedentary lifestyle, excess weight, stress, changing living conditions, and poor nutrition. According to the minister, rapid urbanization leads to a decrease in people's daily physical activity. In particular, the increased use of cars, a reduction in walking, and a decrease in sports activities are among the main causes of this issue.

The implementation of additional measures to reduce tobacco consumption is also on the agenda in Turkey. It was previously reported that the country's government is discussing goals to further strengthen anti-tobacco legislation and completely phase out tobacco products by 2040.

As in the practice of Turkmenistan and other countries, reducing the consumption of tobacco products is one of the important areas of state policy to protect public health and prevent non-communicable diseases.