Tobacco smoking

A 35-year-old Iranian man who was shot in the head by an unknown assailant in central Athens on Friday night died from his injuries on Saturday.

The incident took place shortly before 10 p.m. outside a hookah cafe, at the intersection of Epirou and Michail Voda Streets. The man was taken to the hospital where he was intubated. 

The Customs Agency of Bulgaria has intensified scrutiny on all goods entering and exiting Austria, implemented across checkpoints and territory, aligning with the country's commitment to Austria and Schengen entry obligations.

All tobacco products featuring flavors other than tobacco are set to be withdrawn from sale by January 1, 2024. The amendments to the law on tobacco and tobacco products, recently ratified by deputies, established this regulation without encountering any debate.

Shisha smoking is temporarily banned in all public areas of Istanbul by the Governor's Office as a precaution to reduce the risk of forest fires and other potential dangers.

Over the next three months the Health Ministry will seek to close the loopholes in the anti-smoking legislation that allow closed areas to be characterized as open-air, thus allowing people to smoke.

More specifically, the smoking of cigarettes will be expressly banned in cafes, bars, restaurants etc that are closed with canopies, plastic sheeting and other protective barriers.

Turkey is working on new regulations against hookahs, the country's president has said, putting the long-disputed hookahs and the hookah-cafes on the main agenda of the country.

"Hookahs are more harmful than cigarettes. We are making some preparations to save our people from this harm," Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in a meeting with youth on May 31, World No Tobacco Day.

Every year on May 31, World No Smoking Day is celebrated at the initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The initiative is held around the world, highlighting the health risks associated with tobacco use and calling for effective policies to reduce consumption levels.

Illicit tobacco products and cigarette trade and their consumption have been on the rise in Turkey, costing the state billions of Turkish Liras in tax revenues.

It is estimated that the size of illicit tobacco products accounts for more than 20 percent of all trade volume in this industry.

Restoration works at the Historical Esgher Synagogue in Istanbul's Beyoğlu district will be finished soon. The historical building will serve as the Beyoğlu Municipality Hasköy Youth Center and National Library.

Electronic cigarettes and novel tobacco products have been around for more than a decade as alternatives to cigarette smoking, which kills nearly 700,000 people in the EU every year. However, they remain a controversial issue and the EU is still hesitant about how to treat them legally.