Turkey’s smoking epidemic fuels COPD rise and lung‑cancer risk

Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu reported that roughly 34% of Turkey’s population smokes, placing the country second worldwide for lung‑cancer incidence and underscoring tobacco as a major public‑health challenge.

Respiratory surgeon Dr. Kamran Aliyev explained that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can be triggered not only by smoking but also by long‑term exposure to air pollution, bio‑fuel smoke and cooking‑generated gases. He said balloon bronchial dilatation—a minimally invasive procedure using a balloon catheter—can improve breathing in selected patients with severe airway narrowing.

Both officials called for broader lifestyle changes, noting that Turkey also ranks among nations with high obesity rates and that reducing tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy diets is essential for improving public health.