Turkey considers new tobacco regulations and generation-based sales ban

The Turkish Ministry of Health is reportedly preparing a new tobacco control regulation to be presented to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in October. Key proposals under consideration include banning “slim” cigarettes from the market, strengthening identity verification for tobacco sales, and restricting outdoor smoking areas. One significant proposal involves a generation-based sales ban, which could prohibit the sale of tobacco products to anyone born after 2015, even after they reach adulthood.

Other measures being discussed include ending smoking in the outdoor areas of restaurants and establishing designated smoking zones in parks, gardens, and public building grounds. There is also a long-term goal to completely phase out the production and sale of tobacco products by 2040.

In the United Kingdom, a similar “smoke-free generation” policy has already been enacted through the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026. This law prohibits the sale of tobacco products to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009. Unlike a general ban, this legislation focuses on the sale of products to the specified cohort rather than criminalizing the possession or use of tobacco by those individuals.