Who cares about the danger of electronic cigarettes?

Turkey, once cited as a model in the fight against smoking and tobacco products, has lost this title over the last 10-15 years. In fact, far from being a model, it has fallen further behind the point where it first began its fight against tobacco and tobacco products. We are no longer known for a decline in cigarette sales and consumption, but for our records in growth. Our new title might be the "record-holding country" in cigarette consumption! 

To share a few data points: according to the 2024 report, global tobacco use frequency is falling across all geographic regions, among both men and women. However, Turkey shows a trend contrary to this. In 2020, Turkey was the third country in Europe with the highest tobacco use frequency and the only country to show an increase in use frequency over 10 years. 

Prof. Dr. Elif Dağlı, a Pediatric Pulmonologist, who was our guest on the 12'de Sağlık program, rebelled by saying, "According to the World Health Organization, cigarette use is decreasing worldwide among both women and men, but it is rising only in Turkey. This is a disgrace." 

According to other data shared by Prof. Dr. Elif Dağlı, whose name has been associated with the fight against smoking for nearly 35 years, the current situation is as follows: 

The rate of tobacco users aged 15 and over in Turkey was last measured in 2016 via the Global Adult Tobacco Survey. At that time, 44.1 percent of men and 19.2 percent of women smoked. The smoking rate in society was determined to be 31.6 percent. In other words, one-third of adults were using tobacco. According to the 2022 Turkey Health Survey data, the smoking rate among those over 15 was found to be 45.1 percent for men and 19 percent for women. Between 2012 and 2022, the total increase was determined to be 20 percent, with a 12.8 percent increase among men and 38.3 percent among women. 

THE LAW IS NULL AND VOID!

There is a legal framework in Turkey to prevent the increase in tobacco production and consumption. But why is the law not being enforced?

I asked Prof. Dr. Dağlı, "Have we returned to where we started?" She explained how Law No. 4207, the tobacco control law touted as a model, has been discredited in practice over time, and even how people "pretended" while receiving "smoke-free airspace awards"—in short, the background story of the fight against tobacco that we do not know. According to Prof. Dr. Elif Dağlı, the law, which could be implemented for the first two years but was later sidelined, is effectively null and void. 

WE HAVE DROPPED FROM THE CHAMPIONSHIP TO THE 3RD LEAGUE 

Prof. Dr. Dağlı compared Turkey's drop from 9th to 17th place in the tobacco control scale ranking and its inclusion among the 30 countries with the highest cigarette sales volume to being relegated, commenting as follows: 

"Turkey was one of the first countries to sign the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. It legislated smoke-free airspace and began to implement it very well. Loyalty to the law was shown until 2010, but then violations were overlooked. After being successful for about two years, we fell further behind than where we started... The political administration, which had made tobacco control its brand, has knowingly or unknowingly signed off on a defeat unseen in any other period. 

Cigarette consumption in Turkey has gradually increased over the years, reaching the highest point in history. Now we have been relegated, but it is as if we have dropped from the championship to the 3rd league."

THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY'S LATEST TACTIC IS LIKE A TROJAN HORSE 

The most dire example highlighted by Prof. Dr. Elif Dağlı concerned electronic cigarettes. The same tactics we know are at play in the story of how electronic cigarettes were introduced to the market. The argument that electronic cigarettes, presented as an alternative for those who want to quit smoking, are "less harmful" takes center stage. 

Companies, capturing the curiosity of young people for electronics, have for some time been trying to make these electronic cigarettes even more attractive by adding flavors similar to gum and candy that children and young people are familiar with and love. But beyond these, there is a very serious danger.

ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES CONTAIN CANNABIS DERIVATIVES 

Emphasizing that the use of electronic cigarettes, which are currently very easy to access despite their sale and production being banned in our country, is very widespread, Prof. Dr. Elif Dağlı stated:

"Of course, only the industry claims that electronic cigarettes are harmless. Medicine has not shown them to be harmless. On the contrary, there are many studies showing their many harms. One of the international studies examined flavored e-cigarettes containing and not containing nicotine and found carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) and toxic chemicals in them. 

The human brain continues to develop until the age of 21. Nicotine affects the frontal region of the brain, where features that make a human a human—such as decision-making, memory, and impulse control—develop, and this is a permanent effect. Intense nicotine use at these ages can leave irreversible damage in the brain. The nicotine in these is so high that what will happen to these children's brains, how will they develop in the future?

Most importantly, there are various types of electronic cigarettes that contain cannabis products. Substances including THC, which is also found in cannabis, have been detected. Who will protect our children from these? 

ACCORDING TO YOUNG PEOPLE, CIGARETTES ARE FOR "TRUCKER UNCLES" 

Young people go to the nearest coffee shops after school with their smartphones in one hand and electronic cigarettes in the other to socialize with these new toys. As research supports, the new generation is turning to electronic cigarettes, which they find "cooler" than cigarettes. Prof. Dr. Dağlı also states in their studies that young people see cigarettes as a "trucker uncle thing." 

Let us leave the final word to Prof. Dr. Dağlı's call: 

"More and more studies are being conducted showing the harms of electronic cigarettes. An electronic cigarette means taking 100 times the amount of nicotine at once. Middle school children are secretly smoking them in school bathrooms. They cannot stop this epidemic in the USA. 

Products that do not have a license are prohibited in Turkey. Despite being banned and despite being reported dozens of times for being sold on e-commerce sites, they continue to be sold openly. We investigate, we identify, but no one moves. No one punishes these people. News reports come out saying we are chasing drug gangs. Well, these are being sold on the internet right before your eyes. Please, take the trouble to look at these too. Lung cancer and asthma in children are increasing in Turkey. We are selling our health to these companies. We need to carry out a sincere and genuine mobilization."