As I walk around, I can see people smoking all over the place and the streets littered with cigarette butts. The smell of smoke is everywhere and it is hard to escape it. Even in my apartment, if a window is open, I still can smell it. For someone who doesn’t smoke, it can be quite hard to avoid 2nd and 3rd hand smoke and its smell.
Smoking is so popular now that many businesses now cater to its demands with modified outdoor patios that appear to be indoor parts in the winter. Many cafes like Starbucks Coffee allocate huge parts of their space for smokers to sit and smoke away. Even inside, the smoke drifts in and the whole place smells of cigarette smoke, which makes going out a risk to your health. Surprisingly, some restaurants and cafes even ignore the soft anti-smoking laws by allowing them to smoke inside.
Furthermore, on the streets, parks where kids play, bus stops, entrances to buildings, schools, hospitals and businesses, parking lots, the beach, and just about every outdoor place is littered with smokers. Unfortunately, smokers don’t really care about non-smokers, which compounds the problem creating kind of a polarizing society.
The smoking culture’s age range is from cools teens to the elderly. The view by many is Smoking is a way of life. Also, many who smoke assert it is a way to catch up on the local gossip or socialize; or even feel more relaxed.
What is being done?
The government has many laws and restrictions in place together with an active an anti-smoking campaign, which can be seen on TV, and heard on the radio. There are signs everywhere warning people that they will be fined. Even the packages of the cigarettes are plastered with images of people with cancer and dying. Also, the government statistics publish the leading causes of death and guess which is number one?
So, why is the government’s crusade against smoking not working? Probably the number one reason is lack of enforcement by the police and health officials. Or maybe the government really doesn’t want to rock the boat too much especially during election campaigns since a huge block of voters smoke. Also, the direct tax earned from smokers is fairly significant enriching the treasury.
As a non-smoker, I am faced with a daunting choice of not going out or being a passive smoker. I really don’t see smoking rates decreasing in Turkey in the next 5 years unless the government gets really serious about the problem, but the incentive is not there.
Thus, Smokers definitely rule the streets and smoking is a problem especially in urban settings.
