Experts warn children face rising risks from new nicotine products

Bilge Türk | Medicentert Tv

ISTANBUL, TURKEY — Health experts warned that new-generation tobacco and nicotine products pose a growing addiction risk for children and adolescents, urging stronger enforcement of existing tobacco-control rules.

At a press meeting in Istanbul, representatives of the Health Yes Association assessed the proposed tobacco regulation expected to come before Parliament and drew attention to the risks created by e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and other nicotine delivery systems. Experts said the priority should not be another law alone, but a clear national plan, effective inspection and consistent implementation.

Children are being exposed to nicotine products

Prof. Dr. Elif Dağlı, president of the Health Yes Association, said children and young people should not be left vulnerable to nicotine products. Dağlı said she had been working against the tobacco and nicotine industry since 1987 as a pediatric respiratory diseases specialist.

Dağlı argued that Turkey already has sufficient tobacco-control laws, but that enforcement remains the main problem. She said public discussions around a new tobacco law have appeared in different forms across media outlets, while no official authority has yet clearly confirmed the details.

“We do not want our children to be wasted by nicotine products,” Dağlı said, stressing that health and children must be treated as priorities.

Tobacco control is linked to equality and governance

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Osman Elbek, a board member of the Health Yes Association, discussed the World Health Organization’s MPOWER policy package. The package includes monitoring tobacco use, protecting people from tobacco smoke, offering help to quit, warning about the dangers of tobacco, banning advertising and sponsorship, and increasing tobacco taxes.

Elbek said Turkey launched its National Tobacco Control Program in 2008 and became one of the countries implementing all six MPOWER measures. However, he noted that tobacco use rates in Turkey later began to rise again.

According to Elbek, tobacco control should not be viewed only as a health policy. He said unemployment, income inequality, gender inequality and democratic standards are also closely related to tobacco use. He added that stronger social policies, economic equality and civil rights can support more effective tobacco-control outcomes.

New products are not harmless alternatives

Tanzer Gezer, another board member of the association, said the nicotine industry is changing its product forms without changing its commercial goals. Gezer argued that the phrase “new-generation products” is part of industry marketing language and does not mean these products are safe.

According to Gezer, e-cigarettes and similar products are marketed with words such as “smoke-free,” “alternative,” “technology” and “harm reduction.” Experts at the meeting stressed that these products may still create nicotine addiction, especially among children and young people.

Gezer also warned that the industry is increasingly using digital channels instead of traditional advertising. He said colorful videos, influencer collaborations and lifestyle content are making nicotine products more visible to young people.

E-cigarette use among adolescents raises concern

The meeting included data from a cross-sectional study conducted between February and April 2026 among 488 adolescents aged 10 to 19 who applied to pediatric outpatient clinics at Gazi University and Ankara University medical faculties.

According to the findings, 21.9% of participants had used an e-cigarette at least once, while 12.5% had used one within the previous 30 days. The study also found that as age increased, adolescents were more likely to believe e-cigarettes were physically harmless and to see them as a tool for social acceptance.

Experts said these findings show why children and adolescents should be protected from both direct sales and indirect promotion of nicotine products.

Illegal market and digital promotion are key risks

Gezer also pointed to the illegal e-cigarette market. He said more than 8.5 million illegal electronic cigarettes were seized in the first 10 months of 2025, adding that the captured amount represents only the visible part of a much larger problem.

Experts warned that the illegal market can later be used as an argument for legalization under the claim of preventing tax losses. They said industries that create addiction cannot be treated as partners in the fight against addiction.

The association called for new-generation nicotine products not to be allowed into production, for import restrictions to become permanent, and for domestic and international sales and distribution to be clearly prohibited. It also called for open or indirect marketing activities to be treated as punishable commercial practices.

Experts call for a plan, not only a new law

Efza Evrengil, a member of the Health Yes Association, said cigarette sales in Turkey have grown by about 5% each year over the last 12 years and reached 160 billion units in 2025. She also cited national health data showing that tobacco use has risen to 46.1% among men, 23.6% among women and 34.8% overall.

Evrengil said some countries aim to reduce tobacco use below 5% by a target date, but this requires a comprehensive plan rather than only a production or trade ban. She argued that Turkey’s priority should be effective implementation of existing laws, prevention of youth access and keeping new nicotine products out of the market.

She also drew attention to slim and ultra-slim cigarettes, saying they create a misleading perception of lower harm. Evrengil said cigarette filters should also be addressed because they are among the largest single-use plastic waste items.

Experts concluded that Turkey needs a strong, child-centered tobacco-control strategy that combines enforcement, social policy, public health planning and firm action against the marketing strategies of the nicotine industry.

MediCentertv.com