Turkish Ministry of Health
Year(s) : 2009, 2008
Grant Recipient Type : Government
Grantor : World Lung Foundation (WLF)
Project goal : To raise awareness for smoke-free legislation coming into effect and build support and compliance for the legislation
Direct Grant : Yes
Smoke Free Istanbul Campaign
Key achievement to date:
Utilizing free primetime air provided by the
legislation, the Turkish Ministry of Health,
aired three ads on television and radio.
Popular support for the legislation grew to
more than 85 percent.
Objective 1: In 2008, Turkey went
smoke-free in all public areas and
transportation, with the exception of the
hospitality sector (restaurants, nightclubs and
teahouses) which were given until July 2009 to
comply. Turkey's legislation included a
requirement for all national television
stations to air tobacco control ads for 60
minutes a month, including 30 minutes of
prime-time.
Turkish Ministry of Health used the free air time with a series of commercials with the goal of building awareness about the legislation and growing support and compliance for the legislation. World Lung Foundation supported three television ads under the "Havani Koru" campaign slogan.
In order to maximize resources and minimize development time, a successful Irish ad was adapted. Two adaptations were made. One, "Office," featured a typical Turkish office environment and highlighted the dangerous health impact of exposure to secondhand smoke. The second, "Taxi," focused on smoke-free public transportation and communicated the harmful, carcinogenic chemicals found in secondhand smoke. The last ad, "Locations," informed audiences about the different location types that would be smoke-free under the legislation.