Turkey offers free medication for smoking cessation

Turkey has implemented a new initiative to support citizens in their efforts to quit smoking, as announced in the Official Gazette on July 4, 2026. The decision, signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, ensures that individuals undergoing smoking cessation treatment can access certain prescribed medications free of charge.

The Health Ministry will provide Nicotine Replacement Preparations, along with medications containing Bupropion HCl, Varenicline, and Cytisine. These treatments will be distributed to patients free of charge, with a limit of one million beneficiaries. This measure aims to reduce the financial burden associated with quitting smoking and increase accessibility to necessary treatments.

A significant aspect of this new policy is that beneficiaries will not be required to have social security registration to receive these free medications. Patients can obtain the free drug support through primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare institutions, as well as tobacco addiction treatment and education units. The decision, made in accordance with Law No. 4736, took effect immediately upon its publication in the Official Gazette.