Prof. Dr. Esra Yazar: ‘Tobacco causes the death of 8 million people every year’

A seminar on ‘World No Tobacco Day’ was held at Göztepe Prof. Dr. Süleyman Yalçın City Hospital. Prof. Dr. Esra Yazar stated, ‘Tobacco is a substance that causes the death of 8 million people every year. The prevalence of use, especially among children and young people, is concerning. We organized this seminar to raise awareness on this issue.’

At Göztepe Prof. Dr. Süleyman Yalçın City Hospital, a seminar titled ‘World No Tobacco Day’ was organized to emphasize the health risks of tobacco use, encourage smokers to quit smoking, and raise awareness. In the seminar moderated by Prof. Dr. Mehmet Sargın and Dr. Sacit İçten, Prof. Dr. Esra Yazar and Assoc. Dr. Hacer Hicran Mutlu discussed the tobacco industry and the fight against tobacco addiction. At the entrance of the hospital, individuals willing to quit smoking were subjected to carbon monoxide diffusion and respiratory function tests.

‘Causes the death of 8 million people every year’
Prof. Dr. Esra Yazar said, ‘May 31, World No Tobacco Day, is celebrated worldwide with various activities. Our hope is, of course, for this to become a reality. Tobacco is widely used around the world. It is estimated to cause the death of 8 million people every year. The increasing prevalence of use, especially among children and young people, is worrisome. We organized this seminar to increase awareness, prevent individuals from starting, help those who have started to quit, and to discuss what efforts can be made and how existing efforts can be enhanced.’

‘Been smoking for 32 years, I want to quit’
A citizen who attended the seminar with his wife to quit smoking said, ‘I have been smoking for 32 years. I have decided to quit many times but couldn’t. My wife quit, now I want to quit too. That’s why we came here, hopefully, I will quit.’ His wife added, ‘I have been smoking for 14 years. I decided to quit. The feeling is different. Now, I don’t smell bad, and I breathe comfortably.’