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Approximately 125,000 people die in Türkiye every year due to tobacco-related causes, according to newly compiled health data that also reveals a significant shift in smoking patterns between men and women over nearly two decades.
Between 2008 and 2025, the rate of tobacco and tobacco product use among women in Türkiye climbed from 15.2% to 20.6%, marking a 35% increase over the period. Over the same stretch, the rate among men declined from 47.9% to 46%. Türkiye's overall tobacco use rate rose from 31.2% in 2008 to 33.2% in 2025.
The figures come from a report combining Ministry of Health data with the results of the Turkish Statistical Institute's (TurkStat) 2025 Türkiye Health Survey, which examined how tobacco use has changed over the years alongside efforts to curb it.
Among the population aged 15 and older, the current tobacco use rate stands at 46% for men and 20.6% for women. The male rate had previously been recorded at 41.5% in 2012 and 47.4% in 2014.
Tobacco use is estimated to be responsible for around 25% of chronic diseases and 90% of lung cancers worldwide. Globally, seven million people die from tobacco-related causes each year, including 1.6 million deaths attributed to secondhand smoke exposure.
In Türkiye, tobacco causes roughly 125,000 deaths annually, of which 25,000 are linked to secondhand exposure. The country ranks first in the world for the incidence of lung cancer and related deaths among men. According to 2024 figures, 67.3% of all deaths in Türkiye stem from circulatory, tumor and respiratory diseases directly linked to smoking.
Health officials note that exposure to tobacco smoke affects not only users but also children, young people, families and workers who share the same spaces, with links to cardiovascular disease, respiratory illness and lung cancer.
In response, the Ministry of Health has rolled out Anti-Tobacco Teams and Mobile Smoking Cessation Clinics nationwide to raise awareness and connect citizens with doctors. Since Sept. 1, 2025, the teams have reached more than 1 million citizens with information on secondhand smoke, while the mobile clinics offer counseling to those seeking to quit.
Authorities have also launched cross-provincial inspections under the Smoke-Free Airspace initiative, combining public information campaigns with enforcement to protect non-smokers.
Separately, the government's 2024-2028 Tobacco Control Strategy Document includes a focus on shielding children and young people from tobacco, with protective training for students, teachers and parents carried out jointly by the Ministry of National Education, the Turkish Green Crescent Society, the Ministry of Health, the Council of Higher Education (YOK) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
A "Smoke-Free Campus" guide has also been developed for universities, aiming to expand cessation services, restrict tobacco use on campuses, and reduce the visibility of tobacco products among young people, a key target group for the industry.
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