In the statement made by the Turkish Thoracic Society on the 31st of May, “World No Tobacco Day”, “1.3 billion people use tobacco all over the world. Tobacco leads to the death of half of its users. Tobacco use causes loss of life every four seconds. It is undoubtedly why the tobacco industry has managed to make generations addicted to nicotine and tobacco, with different tactics and manipulations for decades, which led the world to this global epidemic. ”
“FROM NORMAL CIGARETTE‘ LESS HARMFUL ‘SCAM IS MADE ”
President of Turkish Thoracic Society Dr. Hasan Bayram stated that the tobacco industry had the opportunity to advertise intensely on digital and social media. “The tobacco industry continues to advertise with the product placement tactic in movies and series, and it affects young brains comfortably with advertisements made through famous people. By adding flavors to tobacco products, the smokings are made attractive for young people.
The design of new generation products such as electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, which are not legally sold in our country, evokes high-tech, high perception of life or enriched with child-friendly visuals and animated characters aimed at influencing children. With the deception that it is less harmful than traditional cigarettes, electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products in the world market are designed especially for the taste of young people.
The tobacco industry aims to maintain and increase its profitability in the traditional cigarette market by making young generations addicted to these new generation products. ” said.
“NICOTINE PRODUCTS CANNOT BE ALTERNATIVE FOR TREATMENT FOR COVID 19”
Professor Dr. Bayram said, “It is not long before the disease called EVALI (electronic cigarette-related acute lung injury) causing the death of 687 hospitalizations and 68 deaths in the USA, and it is as soon as possible to start a defense when COVID-19 has negative effects. let alone, confuse what conscience tries to make nicotine products look like alternatives to treatment? ” he continued as follows:
“In addition to this, the tobacco industry pierces the prohibition of advertising, promotion and sponsorship all over the world with examples such as violations in sales points, the continuity of the sale of tobacco products in open cabinets, the presence of tobacco products with products such as toys, key rings, confectionery that attract the attention of children and young people. It serves.
According to the Tobacco Control Framework Agreement, which our country has also signed and accepted as its own internal legal regulation, the prevention of advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products is among the precautions to reduce the demand for tobacco product. ”
“HOOKAH MAKES IDEAL ENVIRONMENT IN THE COMMUNICATION OF VIRUSES”
“The marketing strategies of the tobacco industry have turned towards tobacco products other than cigarettes, since the harm of smoking has become more known.” Turkish Thoracic Society Tobacco Control Working Group President Assoc. Dr. Aslı Görek Dilektaşlı announced that the tobacco industry continues to produce new products and brands in order to maintain its profitability.
Assoc. Dr. Dilektaşlı said, “After the 1990s, the use of hookahs became widespread especially among young people. Undoubtedly, this increase is not a coincidence. The hookah has been made aromatic with the sugar and additives added to tobacco by the tobacco industry and has been turned into an industrial product, bringing the characteristics that will attract the attention of young people.
While the hookah causes addiction due to its intense amount of nicotine, it causes all diseases caused by smoking with toxic components such as tar, carbon monoxide, aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals. It also leads to passive smoking.
The COVID-19 epidemic we are in has justified our concerns that have been expressed for years and proved how risky hookah drinking and hookah cafes, which are places where we smoke, are also risky in terms of infection and infectious diseases. It has an ideal environment for the transmission of viruses such as hookah tuberculosis bacteria, coronaviruses, hepatitis, viruses, etc. ” said.
“NO HOW TO ALLOW THE HOOKAH PRESENTATION”
“In our country, hookah consumption is largely realized through commercial presentation, in hookah presentation enterprises (hookah cafes) that are rapidly growing on the existing ground.” Saying Assoc. Dr. Dilektaşlı said, “The fight against the increasing use of hookahs, especially among young people and women, can only be successful by removing the legal and social legitimacy of the commercial presentation.
It is our expectation from the public authority that will favor the health of our people and youth, because the hookah cafes that are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic we live in are never opened and the hookah presentation is not allowed in the enterprises. Healthy generations, nicotine and a tobacco-free world and in Turkey we wish for a healthy future, “he said.
