Turkey detains person after video shows child encouraged to smoke and drink

Police in Turkey's Giresun province detained a man identified as Z.F. after a cellphone video circulated on social media showing him urging a young child in the village of Kaynar to smoke a cigarette and drink alcohol. Z.F. told investigators the act was a joke and expressed remorse. The incident prompted a criminal and administrative investigation by the Görele District Police and the Giresun Provincial Directorate of Family and Social Services.

Separately, Turkish health authorities are confronting a trend of earlier smoking initiation. The Adolescent Smoking Cessation Clinic at Kütahya State Hospital treats 12‑ to 18‑year‑olds addicted to nicotine, offering counseling, motivational interviews and, when needed, nicotine‑replacement therapy. Dr. Yaşar Durmaz, a pediatric specialist, warned that early tobacco use often leads to later substance abuse, describing tobacco as "a gateway drug" and urging preventative action to reduce future adult smoking rates.