It is stated that the Ministry of Health is working on the anti-tobacco regulation, which is expected to be brought to the agenda of the Turkish Grand National Assembly in October. Within the scope of the preparations, options such as removing "slim" cigarettes from the market, strengthening identity verification in the sale of tobacco products and narrowing the open areas where smoking is allowed are being evaluated.
One of the prominent topics in the draft is the ban on sales based on the year of birth.
Accordingly, it is on the agenda to ban the sale of tobacco products to those born after 2015, even after these people become adults. However, it is not yet clear whether the regulation covers only the sale or the use of tobacco products by these people. This distinction is important both in terms of the implementation of the ban and its legal consequences.
Elimination of smoking in open areas of restaurants; Creating special smoking areas in parks, gardens and gardens of public buildings is also among the discussed regulations. The goal of completely ending the production and sale of tobacco products by 2040 is also expressed.
RECEIVED ROYAL APPROVAL IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
In the United Kingdom, which AKP MPs cited as an example for the tobacco regulation discussed in Turkey, a generation-based sales ban referred to as the "smoking-free generation" has become law. The Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026, which the Labor Party government brought to Parliament, received royal approval on April 29, 2026, after completing its process in the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
The law prohibits the sale of tobacco products to those born on or after January 1, 2009. bills.parliament.uk The birth year limit is kept constant in the regulation. Therefore, the ban in question will not end when people reach the age of 18; Those born in 2009 and later will not be able to legally purchase tobacco products later in life. The law does not make it a crime for these people to smoke or possess tobacco products. The focus of the sanction is on selling tobacco products to a certain generation. Thus, it is aimed to gradually close tobacco sales to new generations without imposing a general ban on current adults.
THE LAW HAS BEEN ENTERED, IMPLEMENTATION WILL START IN 2027
Although the law was approved on April 29, the generation-based sales ban is expected to be implemented as of January 1, 2027. Therefore, the sales ban has become law in the United Kingdom; but it has not actually started as of September 2026. In the regulation stated to be being worked on in Turkey, it is stated that 2015 is being discussed as the birth year limit.
It is not yet clear whether the possible ban in Turkey will only cover sales or whether it will also include a provision regarding use. In the process in the United Kingdom, a vote on the previous bill is sometimes confused with the current regulation. The 383 acceptance and 67 rejection results in the House of Commons do not belong to the final vote of the law enacted in 2026, but to the second reading of the previous bill prepared during the Rishi Sunak government on April 16, 2024. That bill could not become law as the Parliament was dissolved before the general election. The Labor Party government brought the same generation-based approach to Parliament with a new bill; The text that became law emerged from this second process.
THE SCOPE OF THE REGULATION MAY CREATE DISCUSSION
On the opposition side, the view that the scope and sanctions of the possible regulation should be clearly stated comes to the fore. The main question is whether the ban based on the year of birth will impose sanctions only on the seller or whether it will also include the person using tobacco products. Proportionality of interference with personal freedoms in case of prohibition of use; If identity and credit card verification is required for sales, the protection of personal data may be discussed. The transition period to be given to businesses regarding production and sales restrictions is important. It is stated that the legal evaluation can be made based on the exact text of the proposal and the foreseen sanctions.
