Minister of Health Kemal Memişoğlu announced that new methods are being worked on to more effectively enforce the ban on cigarette sales to those under 18. Memişoğlu stated that global examples regarding how to conduct age verification are being examined, and that a system similar to the QR codes used during the COVID-19 pandemic is also being evaluated among the options.
Responding to journalists' questions at the Parliament as part of the “minister on duty” practice, Memişoğlu noted that tobacco and tobacco products are among the leading causes of diseases such as heart attacks, cancer, and strokes in Turkey. The Minister stated that significant success was achieved in the fight against smoking during the 2008-2010 period, but that this success has declined in recent years.
Emphasizing that children and young people in particular must be kept away from cigarettes, Memişoğlu said that steps to reduce the visibility of cigarettes are also on the agenda. The Minister said, “Unfortunately, we are number one in the world in lung cancer, especially among men.”
HOW WILL AGE VERIFICATION BE CONDUCTED?
According to legislation, the sale of cigarettes to those under 18 is prohibited. However, according to what Memişoğlu shared, in a survey of 220 thousand young people between the ages of 13-15, 73.3 percent of participants said they were able to buy cigarettes. Stating that the age of starting smoking in Turkey is 17, the Minister noted that a draft law is being worked on to strengthen inspections due to this situation.
“We are looking at examples of how we will do this regarding asking for age, perhaps through the QR code we used during COVID or another way. It is something that has nothing to do with anyone's personal privacy.”
Memişoğlu stated that the regulation has nothing to do with personal data or the exposure of individuals, noting that the goal is to develop a more effective method that will prevent the sale of cigarettes to those under 18.
News Source: 12punto
