Turkey continues its drive against the health risks of smoking as the new rule forces all tobacco products and cigarettes to bear plain and standard packages.
A World Health Organization (WHO) report said that more than 8 million people lose their lives every year because of smoking-related diseases.
Yuksel Denli, the head of the Tobacco and Alcohol Department of Agriculture and Forestry Ministry, told Anadolu Agency the new regulation is intended to eliminate the attractiveness of tobacco products and boost deterrent effects of packages by increasing visual health warnings.
“The cigarette sales sections in the markets have a combination of appealing elements that encourage, especially young people, to use them, said Denli. “With plain and standard packages, we aim to eliminate their attractiveness.”
The new packages will have one color with a standard formation of brand names and other necessary information, but no logo or other distinctive marks.
Picture warnings, including 14 new warning labels, will cover 85% of the packages, which will feature the 171 hotline to help people stop smoking.
Under the new rule, information about tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide release values will be removed from the packages.
Denli said information about release values create a misconception for smokers.
“Less nicotine or tar release values make smokers think that the tobacco products are less harmful. We aim to change this wrong idea by removing the information,” he said.
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