Pressure on smokers to delay ban
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Radikal
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 26, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - A quarter of all deputies in Parliament are smokers and they are being lobbied by certain businesses to delay the second stage of the smoking ban, a survey has revealed.
Experts from Hacettepe University Public Health Branch conducted a survey among parliamentary deputies on smoking habits and the prevention of smoking in public places. According to the related law, restaurants, teahouses, cafes and pubs will be added to the already smoke-free places after June 19. Lobbyists, including restaurant and cafe owners, are putting pressure on deputies to delay the implementation of the second stage.
One-third quit smoking
The survey was conducted among 246 deputies. Results showed 22 percent of deputies smoked every day and 4.5 percent smoked occasionally. The rate of deputies who had quit smoking stood at 29.8 percent, while those who had never smoked numbered 43.7 percent. 57.5 percent of those that smoked said they started smoking before they turned 18 while 31.4 percent said they started between the ages of 19 and 24, while 11.1 percent became smokers after 25.
The reasons they cited for taking up smoking were stress, being overworked and pressure. They also cited an exclusive reason based on their profession: the problems the country is facing. The survey showed most of the deputies that smoked began each day with a cigarette, 7 percent lit up within five minutes of waking up.
According to the survey, 62.5 percent of smoking deputies said they increased the amount they smoked under certain circumstances, which were the mainly the same reasons cited for smoking at all. 75 percent said they puffed more when they were stressed. Nearly 8 percent claimed having nothing to do as a reason to smoke more. For some others, if it wasn’t the consumption of alcohol that had them reaching for their pack more than usual it was concern about the country’s problems. Those who started smoking at an early age were more sensitive about their children taking up the habit. 87.5 percent of deputies that smoked said they would try to quit if they found out their children were taking it up.
The report included with the survey results also said every year five million people all over the world died due to smoking-related illnesses. It reported 43.6 percent of Turkey’s population smoked and that there were 17 million heavy smokers in the country.
One-third quit smoking
The survey was conducted among 246 deputies. Results showed 22 percent of deputies smoked every day and 4.5 percent smoked occasionally. The rate of deputies who had quit smoking stood at 29.8 percent, while those who had never smoked numbered 43.7 percent. 57.5 percent of those that smoked said they started smoking before they turned 18 while 31.4 percent said they started between the ages of 19 and 24, while 11.1 percent became smokers after 25.
The reasons they cited for taking up smoking were stress, being overworked and pressure. They also cited an exclusive reason based on their profession: the problems the country is facing. The survey showed most of the deputies that smoked began each day with a cigarette, 7 percent lit up within five minutes of waking up.
According to the survey, 62.5 percent of smoking deputies said they increased the amount they smoked under certain circumstances, which were the mainly the same reasons cited for smoking at all. 75 percent said they puffed more when they were stressed. Nearly 8 percent claimed having nothing to do as a reason to smoke more. For some others, if it wasn’t the consumption of alcohol that had them reaching for their pack more than usual it was concern about the country’s problems. Those who started smoking at an early age were more sensitive about their children taking up the habit. 87.5 percent of deputies that smoked said they would try to quit if they found out their children were taking it up.
The report included with the survey results also said every year five million people all over the world died due to smoking-related illnesses. It reported 43.6 percent of Turkey’s population smoked and that there were 17 million heavy smokers in the country.