Authorities have imposed 694.67 million Turkish Liras in administrative fines on businesses in Istanbul for violating indoor smoking bans over the past five years.
Health inspection teams checked 1.35 million venues across the province during this period, penalizing 25,970 workplaces that permitted indoor tobacco consumption. Meanwhile, officials temporarily closed 681 establishments and fined 1,958 individuals for breaching the regulations.
The financial penalties climbed steadily, rising from 22.26 million liras in 2022 to 278.96 million liras in 2025. Concurrently, authorities issued 205.82 million liras in fines in the January-May period this year, driven by regular cross-inspections conducted by 65 field teams consisting of 145 personnel.
Türkiye expanded its indoor smoking bans in 2009 to protect non-smokers from the fatal impacts of secondhand smoke. Globally, eight million people die from tobacco annually, with 1.2 million of those fatalities stemming from passive smoke exposure, Green Crescent Science Board member Professor Hasan Volkan Kara said.
Toxic particles and gases remain suspended in enclosed environments for three to six months, putting the health of non-smokers at risk, Kara said. Citizens can report violations to provincial health directorates or via the Health Ministry hotline, he said, adding that free treatments are available for those who want to quit.
