Türkiye is preparing a new tobacco control measure that could require smokers to present identification when purchasing cigarettes, in a move inspired by Japan and aimed at tightening access to tobacco products, a senior Health Ministry official has said.
Speaking at a medicine congress hosted by Atatürk University in Erzurum, Deputy Health Minister Şuayip Birinci said the government was studying a model similar to Japan’s system, where cigarettes are sold through identity verification.
“Japanese authorities now provide cigarettes to people through ID verification. This is one of the plans we are considering as well,” Birinci said.
The proposal comes as Turkish health officials warn of rising tobacco consumption and mounting economic and public health costs. Birinci said while Türkiye’s per capita health expenditure stands at $840 annually, the healthcare cost linked to a single smoker reaches $1,028.
He said household spending on tobacco products has climbed to 15 billion Turkish Liras ($332 million) annually, while fire damage caused by smoking accounts for another 4 billion liras. Smoking-related healthcare costs, meanwhile, have reached an estimated $5 billion.
Despite stricter regulations in recent years, tobacco use continues to rise, Birinci said, describing the situation as “alarming.” Citing a survey across 37 European countries, he noted that 55 percent of teenagers aged 15 to 16 reported being able to access cigarettes, while the age of first experimentation has fallen below 12.
Birinci also highlighted the growing impact of passive smoking, noting that 44 out of every 100 children in Türkiye are exposed to cigarette smoke.
Calling cigarette pricing the most effective deterrent, Birinci argued that higher tobacco taxes remain the strongest policy tool to reduce consumption.
Türkiye is also preparing a sweeping overhaul of its tobacco control regime, with draft legislation foreseeing a complete ban on the sale of tobacco products by 2040, alongside a broad expansion of public smoking restrictions in line with European Union public health targets.
