site.btaTurkiye to Ban Smoking Even in Cafes and Restaurants with Retractable Roofs

A draft law by the Turkish Ministry of Health proposes a ban on smoking in parts of cafes and restaurants with retractable roofs, the online news outlet Sozcu reported. 

BTA checks show that this “loophole” in the legislation has often been used by establishments to circumvent the smoking ban. Another common practice is to hide ashtrays shortly before inspectors arrive and put them back out once the inspectors leave. 

According to the state-run Anadolu [news] Agency, the proposed changes are part of a package of measures aimed at combating addictions, including tobacco use, digital addiction, and obesity. 

Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu emphasized that the changes will make mobile teams monitoring compliance with the smoking ban more active, while clinics for tobacco cessation and nicotine addiction will expand the scope of their work. 

"In this way, we will achieve better results in the fight against tobacco addiction. We are preparing legislative changes regarding indoor smoking and hope to bring this to the agenda of the Grand National Assembly soon. With the approval of the President (Recep Tayyip Erdogan), we should achieve much better results on this issue," Memisoglu said. 

The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture are also working on a joint bill that will cover foods and their sugar content. Family doctors and health centers are expected to take a more active role in promoting policies against obesity and encouraging healthy eating and active lifestyles.