Türkiye’s Health Ministry opens clinics to help teens quit smoking

Türkiye’s Health Ministry has launched specialized quit-smoking clinics for children and adolescents, offering tailored treatment and counseling for those aged 12 to 18 as part of a nationwide effort to curb youth tobacco addiction.

The newly established Adolescent Quit-Smoking Clinics are designed to address the biological, psychological and social needs of teenagers, who health authorities say are increasingly vulnerable to nicotine addiction due to peer pressure, social media influence and easier access to new-generation nicotine products, including e-cigarettes.

According to the ministry, nicotine exposure during adolescence can negatively affect brain development, impairing attention, learning, memory and impulse control. Early tobacco use also raises the risk of alcohol and other substance addictions later in life.

Officials said treating adolescent nicotine dependence requires a multidisciplinary approach that extends beyond conventional smoking cessation services. The clinics provide evidence-based counseling and treatment while coordinating care, when necessary, with child and adolescent psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and other specialists.

The initiative aims to help young people quit tobacco use before nicotine dependence becomes chronic, reduce the long-term health burden linked to smoking and contribute to raising healthier generations.

To support the new program, the ministry has also prepared a clinical guide for physicians working at the adolescent clinics.

The specialized clinics began operating in June and currently serve patients at seven centers across Ağrı, Ankara, Bursa, Çanakkale, Çorum and Kütahya. Health authorities plan to expand the service nationwide so that every province offers adolescent-focused quit-smoking support.

As of July 9, Türkiye operates 1,600 quit-smoking clinics across the country, providing free smoking cessation services to the public.

The launch comes as tobacco use continues to pose a major public health challenge in Türkiye, particularly among adolescents.

According to the Turkish Green Crescent Society (Yeşilay), 62.9% of smokers begin using tobacco before the age of 18, while the average age of first tobacco use is 16.9 years. The rate is even higher among boys, with 68.6% reporting they started smoking before turning 18, compared with 54.2% of girls, according to Yeşilay’s 2025 Tobacco Report based on data from its Green Crescent Counseling Centers (YEDAM).

Research published in Yeşilay’s peer-reviewed journal, Addicta: The Turkish Journal on Addictions, also highlights the growing prevalence of nicotine use among adolescents. A 2025 study found that 21.5% of vocational and technical high school students smoke traditional cigarettes, while 19.6% use electronic cigarettes, underscoring the rapid rise of vaping among youth.

Earlier studies published in the journal found that nearly half of surveyed high school students had tried tobacco products, with experimentation rates exceeding 50% among working and apprentice youth. Yeşilay identifies peer influence and curiosity as the leading factors driving tobacco use among adolescents, while international survey data cited by the organization indicate that about 10% of children aged 13 to 15 in Türkiye smoke regularly, with prevalence rising sharply in the later teenage years.

Health officials estimate that tobacco-related diseases claim nearly 100,000 lives every year in Türkiye, making smoking one of the country’s leading preventable causes of death and underscoring the importance of early intervention to protect children and adolescents from lifelong nicotine addiction.

DAILYSABAH