Minister Memişoğlu: We will prevent the sale of cigarettes to people under the age of 18 with a QR code
Quick Look
- Deputy Health Minister Hüseyin Memişoğlu, speaking on behalf of Health Minister Fahrettin Koca, stated that the sale of cigarettes to people under the age of 18 is prohibited, but shared the results of a survey showing that 73.3% of young people between the ages of 13-15 can easily obtain cigarettes.
- Memişoğlu said that systems such as HES or QR codes can be evaluated as age verification methods and stated that efforts are continuing to effectively prevent the sale of cigarettes to young people.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
In Türkiye, the sale of cigarettes to people under the age of 18 is prohibited. However, young people's access to tobacco products is an ongoing concern for health authorities.
Memişoğlu said that according to the law, it is forbidden to sell cigarettes to people under the age of 18, but in the survey they conducted with 220 thousand young people, it was seen that 73.3 percent of the young people between the ages of 13-15 can easily buy cigarettes, and stated that they will verify the age of cigarette sales, especially to young people, as in many countries.
Memişoğlu said, "We will ask your age. By what method will we do this? Maybe through HES, as we did in Covid, or through a QR code, or otherwise... We are looking at examples from around the world. We are trying to prevent the sale of this harmful substance to our young people, with a method that will prevent the sale of cigarettes to people over 18 years old, and how we can make the ban really effective."
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
It is planned to test and implement a HES or QR code-based system for age verification.
Likely · Within months
Open Questions
- Which technology or system will be preferred for age verification?
- When will the application start date?
- How will retailers implement these systems?
