Despite having ample evidence that the neglect of a harm reduction approach and prohibitionism is failing, the lessons have never been learned.

Even though sales, import and distribution of vapes is already prohibited in Turkey accompanied by a blooming black market, the country is now planning to implement even harsher bans on tobacco products, sweeping in vapes as one of them. The country is facing a relatively high smoking rate, around 22%; however, the way the government is planning to fight it does not give much reason to stay hopeful for those who understand how important harm reduction is on the path to achieving a smoke-free society.

What appears to be a recent decision, the Turkish government is preparing even stricter rules when it comes to fighting tobacco. According to Merkur, the Turkish government is planning to ban all cash payments for tobacco products and allow only electronic payments for monitoring purposes. There are also plans for wider bans on smoking in places of worship, educational institutions, hospitals, and public spaces such as playgrounds and beaches. Smoking will also be restricted in areas not open to the public.

What seems even crazier is that, by 2040, Turkey plans to introduce a strict ban on all products, claiming that this will lead to smoking cessation.

While it may seem easy on paper to eliminate all nicotine-containing products, how does this work in real life? Probably the best example of failed policies in recent history is Australia, which has tight restrictions on vapes. This resulted in a booming illicit trade and, even worse, mafia wars over nicotine. Sadly, despite it being empirically proven that these types of policies do not contribute to a smoke-free society but instead place nicotine products in the hands of criminals – and therefore put consumers at risk – governments around the world seem to turn a blind eye to this reality.

Fighting tobacco consumption is a noble goal, but it should be pursued with policies that actually benefit consumers and not criminalise them. Instead of acknowledging the harm reduction potential that vapes have, Turkey is planning to adjust the definition of ‘tobacco product’ and, alongside cigarettes, ban vapes and deprive consumers of the opportunity to reduce the risks associated with smoking.

There is still time before 2040, but with the current approach, it does not seem likely that the situation will improve. While countries like New Zealand, the UK, and Sweden are championing consumer-focused policies and achieving real progress in smoking cessation, the rest of the world seems to have a hard time understanding the assignment.

If anything, Turkey still has a chance to rethink this direction before repeating the same mistakes seen elsewhere. Ignoring harm reduction will not make nicotine disappear – it will only push it underground, where consumers are left with fewer choices and greater risks. The question is not whether people will use nicotine, but whether they will be given less harmful alternatives to do so.