Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Aydın, President of the Turkish Society for the Fight Against Tobacco (TSSD), which has played an active role in combating smoking in Turkey since its establishment, made statements on November 20, World No Tobacco Day.

The World Health Organization organizes anti-smoking activities on specific dates each year. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Aydın, President of the Turkish Society for the Fight Against Tobacco, stated, “Today, events for quitting smoking are being held worldwide. As TSSD, we are also conducting various activities on different platforms in our country to raise awareness among the public about the harms of smoking to human health, the economy, social society, and future generations. On this important day, I hope that our smoking brothers and sisters will free themselves from this affliction as soon as possible and leave a smoke-free life for future generations. I want to emphasize that we will continue our fight until the last molecule of tobacco is eliminated.”

“A significant share in health expenditures”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aydın pointed out that the damage caused by tobacco is not limited to death and disease. “This situation is not just about death and disease. Smoking is the biggest obstacle to sustainable development in the world. Its total cost to our world is around 1.5 trillion dollars. Tobacco represents a significant expense, with a 6% share of health expenditures globally. In our country, this rate is about 9%. This means we are turning 9% of our national income, our labor, and our future into ash every year,” he emphasized, highlighting the extent of the damage.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aydın noted that there are 1.1 billion smokers in the world, stating, “Smoking causes many types of cancer, especially heart diseases. In our country, 70% of heart and vascular diseases and 90% of lung cancers are tobacco-related. The risk of developing throat cancer is 20 times higher in smokers. Smoking is a factor that increases the risk of many types of cancer. Every year, approximately 110,000 people in our country die due to smoking, and worldwide, there are smoking-related deaths every six seconds.”

“You must be determined to quit smoking”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aydın mentioned that the age of starting to smoke has dropped to around 11 years. “Today, the smoking age is around 11. When these young people reach the age of 25-30, they are diagnosed with fatal diseases caused by smoking. Those who want to quit often cannot do so out of fear of failure or turn to alternatives. I tell our friends and brothers who smoke that smoking starts in the brain and is also quit in the brain. You must be determined to quit smoking,” he expressed.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aydın concluded his remarks by wishing that smokers would free themselves from this affliction as soon as possible and leave a smoke-free life for future generations on the occasion of November 20, World No Tobacco Day.