Turkey ranks first globally in cigarette consumption, professor reveals

Turkey leads the world in per capita daily cigarette consumption, with individuals smoking an average of 17.1 cigarettes daily, according to pulmonologist Prof. Dr. Şevket Özkaya. This figure surpasses other countries like Greece (15.7), Israel (15.5), Japan, and Austria (15.4).

Özkaya highlighted the alarming scale of smoking in Turkey, noting that approximately 8 billion packs of cigarettes were sold last year. He illustrated this by stating that if Turkey's population is considered, it equates to roughly 100 packs per person, including newborns. This statistic underscores the pervasive nature of nicotine addiction in the country, influenced by societal, economic, and cultural factors.

Globally, smoking remains a significant public health crisis. The World Health Organization has described it as the world's fastest-spreading and longest-lasting epidemic. While consumption has decreased in developed nations, it continues to rise in developing countries like Turkey. Smoking was responsible for approximately 100 million premature deaths in the 20th century, and estimates suggest this number could reach one billion in the 21st century.

Özkaya also pointed out the high smoking rates within Turkey, with nearly one in two men and one in four women over 18 being smokers. He emphasized that the health burden of smoking is shifting from high-income to low- and middle-income countries, posing a growing challenge for global public health.