Turkmenistan, a small landlocked country in Central Asia, has become the first country in the world to ban the sale of cigarettes and impose hefty fines for violations. The move comes as smoking-related deaths continue to rise globally, with an estimated six million people dying annually from smoking-related illnesses. While Germany alone sees around 140,000 smoking-related deaths each year, Turkmenistan’s government has taken a bold step to reduce the number of smokers in the country.
The former leader of Turkmenistan, Saparmyrat Nyýazow, was a heavy smoker until he underwent a heart operation that turned him into a staunch non-smoker. During his tenure, he implemented measures to reduce smoking rates in the country, including making cigarettes prohibitively expensive. Today, Turkmenistan boasts a smoking rate of just eight percent, compared to 15.2 percent in the United States and nearly 29 percent in Europe. The current leader, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, has taken the anti-smoking campaign even further by banning the sale of cigarettes altogether.
Although the law has not yet been officially passed, authorities are already cracking down on cigarette sales, with state representatives visiting shop owners and kiosk operators to prohibit the sale of cigarettes. Violators face hefty fines equivalent to several months’ salary, which has led to a surge in black market prices, with a pack of cigarettes now costing around $14. While Turkmenistan has already implemented measures such as higher taxes on tobacco products and a ban on smoking in public places, the complete removal of cigarettes from store shelves is a significant step that goes beyond what other countries have done. It remains to be seen whether the ban will be permanent or if the government will make concessions for the few remaining smokers in the country.
