Less Tobacco Use in Turkey

The use of tobacco products is going down in Turkey. While 31.3 percent of people aged 15 and above were using tobacco products in 2008, this number has fallen to 27 percent in 2012, according to data provided by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK). According to TÜİK’s 2012 Global Adult Tobacco Study, tobacco usage among the male population has fallen the most drastically. Male usage has dropped 6.5 points among men and only 2.1 points, among women, according to the study. Still, more men smoke than women. In 2008, 47.8 percent of men smoked and 15.2 percent of women. The 2012 figures show that 41.4 percent of men were smokers, while 13.1 percent of women were. Furthermore, tobacco usage is most prevalent among the young and middle aged. Specifically daily or periodic tobacco usage was seen most in the 24-34 and 35-44 age brackets. However, while the 25-34 bracket accounted for 40.3 percent of overall tobacco usage in 2008, this percentage fell to 34.9 in 2012. The 35-44 age bracket accounted for 39.6 percent of tobacco usage in 2008 and was down to 36.2 percent this year.