Turkey launches free smoking‑cessation drug program for up to 1 million citizens

A presidential decree published in the Official Gazette (Decision No. 11502) authorises the Turkish Ministry of Health to provide free smoking‑cessation medication to up to one million people, regardless of their social‑security status. The package includes nicotine‑replacement products and prescription drugs containing bupropion HCl, varenicline and citisine, which will be supplied by the Ministry to primary, secondary and tertiary health‑care facilities across the country. The programme is coordinated with the ALO 171 quit‑smoking helpline and aims to curb a tobacco‑related death toll of around 120 000 per year.

Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu highlighted the scale of the problem, noting that “more than one‑third of our citizens are addicted to tobacco” and that per‑capita health spending ($840) is lower than the per‑capita cost of smoking ($1 024). The free‑drug scheme is expected to reach up to one million patients, with no requirement for insurance coverage.

In parallel, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Justice have begun an online cessation service for inmates as part of the “Smart Technologies Integration into Penitentiary Institutions (ACEP)” project. Prisoners can now access remote consultations and receive prescribed cessation medication through the nearest pharmacy, extending the anti‑smoking effort to correctional facilities.