Village promotes addiction-free life

AFYONKARAHİSAR

Tazlar village, home to 370 people in the western province of Afyonkarahisar’s Sinanpaşa district, stands out as a model of healthy living: Its residents have remained free from addiction for years and actively maintain a smoke-free space after being designated as the province’s “Most Green Crescent-Friendly Village.”

Located 49 kilometers from Afyonkarahisar city center and 16 kilometers from Sinanpaşa, the village has drawn attention for its long-standing stance against smoking and other addictions.

Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş and Turkish Green Crescent head Mehmet Dinç visited the village on March 2 and congratulated residents for their efforts in combating smoking addiction.

Arif Kavas, head of the Turkish Green Crescent Afyonkarahisar Branch, told the state-run Anadolu Agency that they hope the village will serve as an example for other communities across Türkiye.

“When cigarettes don’t enter a village, bad habits don’t enter either,” Kavas said. “We determined that in Tazlar village, there is not only a smoke-free environment but also no other types of addiction. Villagers are very happy and pleased to have been declared the ‘Most Green Crescent-Friendly Village.’”

Village head Hidayet Ünal said the designation came after inspections by the Green Crescent confirmed that there was no smoking, alcohol consumption or gambling in the village.

“We are proud to be declared the ‘Most Green Crescent-Friendly Village’ in Afyonkarahisar,” Ünal said. “As villagers, we are determined to maintain and protect this title.”

Ünal noted that the village’s anti-smoking tradition dates back nearly a century. “A smoking ban was introduced in our village in 1928. At the time, five or six people smoked, but the village elder Ahmet Ağa made them quit. Since then, our village has remained clean. We constantly warn our children and young people not to smoke.”

Village resident İsmail Kaya said they hope the reputation of Tazlar as a smoke-free village spreads across Türkiye.

“There is no coffeehouse in our village. People gather in village rooms to chat, and no one smokes there,” Kaya said. “The only smoke here comes from the chimneys of our homes. That’s why we are very happy.”

Another resident, Ömer Çetinkaya, emphasized the importance of setting an example for children and young people, saying villagers take pride in being able to breathe clean air.