Girne American University (GAU) School of Nursing Academician Asst. Prof. Dr. Nurcan Bilgiç made a statement regarding the ever-increasing threat of electronic cigarette and hookah usage that is becoming widespread in the recent times.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Bilgiç in her statement has said that despite increasing effectiveness in fighting with tobacco products in recent years, 31% of men in Turkey have lost their lives because of tobacco related illnesses according to `The Tobacco Atlas` prepared with the contributions of World Health Organization, American Cancer Association and World Lung Foundation. Bilgiç who stated ratio was 12% on women, has said that an increase was expected.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Bilgiç continued her statement with;

Bilgiç:"In recent years e-cigar and hookah market and consumption has increased"

"To summarize, if we look at tobacco products description; it is described as product produced / made from a part or whole tobacco leaves. However in recent years `Nicotine Releasing System` description is used as it is more inclusive and accurate name. Products in this category is split into two titles "smoke producing" and "smokeless." Smoke producing products, cigarette, pipe,cigar, kreteks, beedi, hookah, electronic cigarette are heated products. And smokeless produtcts are chewing tobacco, snus, Nicotiana rustica containing  mouth dissolvable products and dissolvable through nose like snuff. Type that is widely produced, marketed and consumed version worldwide is cigarette. ­Although it is reported that in recent years the Electronic cigarette and hookah is getting relatively more marketing and consumption.

"Efforts are increased towards increasing Hookah and E-Cigarette use instead of Cigarette consumption"

In recent years tobacco control period has been started with leadership of World Health Organization (WHO). As of September of 2010, 160 countries have implemented new applications with Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

Tobacco Control practices is being carried out in the entire world with MPOWER package which contains basic tobacco control strategies. Cigarette producers have increased works towards boosting hookah and e-cigarette usage after positive effects of strategies have been observed in multiple countries following application of strategies.

A person or people who have smoked at least 100 cigarettes during their lives, and are still smoking, is still a person who smokes. According to some research the reason why people have started to use tobacco products is, 36.2% have started out of curiosity, 16.8%  started because they want to be like others and 29.4% are influenced by their friends.

Back in the days, hookah was used for its smell, artificial free flavouring, strong, with only a dry tobacco leaf leaning towards a classic hookah product (Persian Tobacco). However, to encourage people to use more hookah, for the last 10 years it has been conferred that ingredients such as sugar molasses, fruit nectar and glycerin that provide a type of artificial flavour, smell, softness and the environment that it’s found in create the materials with fermentation and are included in it.This has caused an epidemic increase for hookah among youngsters and teens. The number of people in Turkey that smoke hookah are between 2% to 10% of the population, and every inhale taken from hookah, is about 500ml amount of smoke taken from a cigarette.

“Within The Smoke Of An Electronic Cigarette, Contains Materials That Lead To Cancer”

Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette), which looks like a traditional cigarette and gives the feeling like you’re smoking a cigarette, designed into a shape like a pencil or an accessory that contains nicotine that evaporates the liquid, is a type of nicotine mechanism. In the aerosol shaped vapour of e-cigarettes’ , nicotine, ultra small particles that can go in the depths of your lungs, chemicals like diacetyl aroma that can cause serious lung illnesses, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein, volatile organic compounds, chemicals that could lead cancer, nickel, tin, chromium, diethylene glycol and lead are types of metals contain many harmful materials. Even though people think e-cigarette is less harmful than a normal cigarette, this doesn’t mean it is safe. E-cigarettes are not a medical method to stop smoking. In Turkey, according to the 4207 Numbered Law, To Protect You From Harm Of Tobacco Products and To Control It, no matter what it contains it is accepted as a “tobacco product” and a license should not be given to any electronic cigarettes.

In conclusion, the usage of hookah and e-cigarettes are the increasing problems of the the public’s health in the World, in Turkey and in the TRNC. The first way to prevent this is to prevent children and teens from starting on any tobacco product. Besides this, with public health educations; when you stop smoking it can reduce the risks of many cancers, especially lung cancer, heart/vain illnesses and reduces the risks of a stroke, coughs, phlegm, snuffling, struggling to breathe kind of breathing system illnesses can be reduced and can also reduce the development of Chronic Obstructive Respiratory Disease (CORD). Also, amongst women who stop smoking reduces the infertility risks, to quit smoking before pregnancy reduces the risks of miscarriages.

The struggle against tobacco products is a job for all associations, institutions, universities, Civil Society Institutions, teachers, society leaders and families. In the Framework Convention On Tobacco Control, the study has to be planned and the usage of cigarettes have to be under control, especially to protect the youth a National Tobacco Control Program (NTCP) must be formed. Places that are open to the public, work places indoor areas and indoor places that are open for the public should be described as Tobacco-smoke-free places. The Tobacco-Free Campus practice that has started at the Universities in Turkey should start here too. Also, they should start the practice to reduce the usage of hookah and prevent any more e-cigarettes to be sold.

Lets fight against our common problem tobacco problems and lets take the first step in the new year of our tobacco-free lives. Lets’s warn those who do not smoke not to smoke and let’s support those who do smoke to stop smoking.