Ankara to regulate tobacco, alcohol shops in 'rally against addiction'

A state supreme council for battling addiction will be regulating the sale of alcohol and tobacco products, including rules about the display of the words on shop signs. Ankara will also limit the sale of internet services, such as online gambling, to battle "digital addiction."

Monday February 01 2021 10:45 am

Duvar English

A new committee to fight against addiction will ban the use of the words like "tobacco, "hookah" and "alcohol" on store signs.

Formed almost two years ago, the Battling Addiction Supreme Council will launch a nationwide "Rally Against Addiction," Vice President Fuat Oktay said, noting four categories for their activities: Drugs, tobacco and tobacco products, alcohol and "digital addiction," aka gambling.

"Surely the most crucial step in battling addiction is to prevent our youth from trying substances for the first time. We are working intensely to prevent our kids from trying cigarettes, hookah, alcohol and tobacco," Oktay said.

The state will also regulate internet use to prevent gambling, Oktay noted, adding that "digital addiction" is one of the biggest threats of modern day.

The rally against addiction closely follows initiatives by Ankara that limited the sale of alcohol products and the operation of tobacco shops under the guise of pandemic precautions, although critics noted that these attempts were efforts to limit people's lifestyle as part of the Islamist agenda of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).