I just wonder if most of the men in turkey smoke?? at least all turkish men i know are...

Most of the Turksih men I have met don't smoke.

I have met hundreds and only one who didn't smoke! The expression
'smokes like a Turk' didn't come from nowhere. Once upon a time, maybe 50 or 60 years ago, all the best cigarettes came from Turkey, they were considered the absolute finest in the world. Only rich people could afford them. (not that I actually remember any of this you understand......)

those men i have met do smoke, just realised by understanding each other... i thought they were not smokers when i first knew them~ but they are actually!!

can some1 tell me more?? :-S

yeah smoking is harmful.. a bad habit maybe.. but the goods and bads to him... it shouldnt affect the way you look to him or her whatever... and i do know about passive smoking too... but isnt it strange why governments courage cigaratte fabrics this is not the end of the world i guess

it is a problem of underdeveloped countries..the tendency to smoking is too hard in underdeveloped countries..also turkish culture sometimes gets its power from pains..and cigaratte is ur best friend when ur in pain..turks generally have potantial to be the best but with some resons that i still couldnt understand,they generally just stays on their places..so they always dream nice days which they deserve however they couldnt reach..so when dreaming cigaratte is ur friend..and also societies ideas..cigarattes badnesses arent seen as well i think..or it is throwing to the winds..and the last thing is that there arent strict rules to obstecle smoking..but turks are in a better place than yesterday and tomorrow will be better..sth is going well..

smoking makes you and your hair stink your teeth and fingers yellow and your lungs rot all the time wasting your money!!! hope this helps

It isn't strange why the English Government allows advertising and manufacture of cigarettes - they get a huge amount of revenue from it.

well i know alot of turkish men and only one of them smokes
oh well
i dont really mind other people smoke as long as they dont smoke near me
i hate the smell of smoke!!

I used to smoke myself, and I will never judge other people who smoke because believe me, once you have been a smoker, you realize how difficult it is to quit with it. Smokers are addicts, and an addiction does really weird things with your mind. Your mind plays tricks on you. People who smoke/used to smoke will understand me. We all know people who suffer from diseases that are related to smoking. Even the most intelligent person knows that it is very dangerous, but that doesn't stop him from smoking.
I read once that it is more difficult to get rid of a cigarette addiction than to get rid of a heroin addiction. This was in a report of a scientific study.
Coincidentally today I heard something funny. Don't know if it's true but I'll tell it anyway. For some time now, smoking is forbidden in pubs in Ireland. It seems now that people are complaining of pubs stinking of sweat, and well, other odours and gasses that people produce and release... Y'all know how a classroom can stink after one day, it's like the oxygen has been replaced by other gasses and odours.. Seems that's the smell of pubs in Ireland now, now that they're not masked by the smell of cigarettes anymore...

Anyway, I'm glad that I am not a smoker anymore, but as I said, I will never judge anyone because he/she is still smoking.

Elisa

i know
why dont they just stop them from being made then people are not getting poisend and they wont be able to waste thier money on them anymore

oh well...

There's not a single health benefit of even one cigarette, but it's said that a reasonable amount of alcohol can be beneficial.
And also alcohols are added to meals to give a good taste.

And I don't see a lot of people around who drink everyday because once they started drinking, but I see a lot of people who smoke everyday because once they started smoking.

So, I tihnk they're not the same.

i would never judge poeple because they smoke
but i still think that people shouldent smoke

You are absolutely right Natlisa - I stand corrected.

But the other pont SuiG made Government poisoning its own pepole - where money is concerned the Government couldn't care a fig about the health of its people - which is really bizarre since smoking-related illness costs the National Health Service millions and contributes to the strain it is under - totally mad world! :-S

Since summer this year it is forbidden to smoke in restaurants, pubs and discos in Sweden due to the helth of people working there. I think it's very good cause the air is now breathable...and anyone can choose themselves if they wanna smoke or not.

This is the Cigarette Additives link I mentioned. It is quite shocking in my opinion...

i dont understand why threads like this are made... no offence but.. some people are smokers and some arent... big deal eh?

Because it started as a question And tbh i think smoking is a good subject on this forum because to me it seemed like smoking is a part of turkish society. Especially as in Nargile. They have become trendy in holland hahah.. See this is what we do with culture.. we steal it and then make it fashionable

I really like Nargile (i mean i havent used it, but the sound and becuase its not so bad like cigarettes..right?) but i dont like smoking.

Maybe they should make cigarettes twice as expensive as they are now. That wont make the addicts of nowadays stop, but here in holland the economics are getting worse and its predicted that dutch young people dont have very much money to spend. Maybe that will stop the youngsters from trying because then it would be like 8 euros a package, which is lika half cd!

8 euros a package?

then i ll have to start smoking maydanoz lan!!! how can i afford it?

I was a smoker a year and a half ago. I wasn't smoking too much but I still carried a pocked around and was addicted to it.
When I came to Britain the public made me feel like an idiot because I was smoking. I really felt uncomfortable in many places and smokers were not welcome everywhere.
When I was looking to let a flat smoking was a problem and the landlords were very seriously asking whether or not I was smoking. They were not willing to let a flat to a smoker. One of them told me that if I rent the place and after a while quit the smell will remain there and a non-smoker might not want the place.
When I first came I wanted to rent a room and they told me that I couldnt smoke in the house.
In Turkia smoking is still considered to be a symbol of strenght. It might sound strange but some women feel more independent because they smoke. Normally a women should smoke in public according some traditional lifestyles in Turkia. So some women take the challange and they do.
On the other hand for men it is a mannish thing. Smoking, beer and football matches perfectly for many Turkish men. For the young boys smoking is a symbol of maturness.
I think these things play a role in smoking. In Britain I feel like everyone feels pity for the smokers as they are not so logical and harm their own life. I do as well. So I have quit a year and a half ago.
I also congratulate the British Government for rising the tabacco prices incredibly high to make it so unpopular. As far as I know in Britain the tabacco prices are higher thahn in any other EU country. I think they even dont follow the EU borders regulations to keep it high.
Unfortunately in Turkia we have the TEKEL (the Turkish State Liquor and Tobacco Monopoly) which is a official company owned by the Government and as far as I know they are making a good profit.

dear friends,
i am tryng to stop smoking.. i need moral backup..please wish me good luck and if u remember please pray for me to get out of this shit..cos i think this is the most important thing i need..and the other thing i need is necotinell..(nicotin chew gum-the one with furiuts is good..also it works and 12 chew gum are only 2.35 euros in turkey-) so please pray for me friends..i ll write here my giving up diary..i hope i wouldnt write i losed agein..bye..

Good luck oeince! Thinking of you

thanks nalisia..its really nice to know this..and nice to get feed back soon..thanks..

Dear oeince,

I want to wish you good luck with the part of a poem.

"Tütünü bilir misin?
'Kız saçı' demiş zeybekler
Su içmez her damardan,
Yerini kolay beğenmez,
ÃœşÃ¼r
Naz eder,
Darılır,
İki yaprak arasında kıyılmış,
Bir parçası var kalbimin
İncecik, ak kağıtlara sarılır,
Dar vakit yanar da verir kendini,
dostun susan dudağına..."

Erol, kolay gelsin. Umarım bırakırsın.
When I was in Turkia I tried to explain people that smoking shouldnt be encouraged but everywhere it was. I was working as a teacher in a school and the normal teacher's room was left for the smokers while a much smaller and far room was left for non-smokers. I tried to explain the reason why and how smoking could be discouraged. It is a non-reasonable thing and smokers shouldnt be made feel comfortably and they should feel like they are doing the wrong thing. Obviously you can not achive this by leaving first class places to smokers and second class places to non-smokers.

I would like to hear other poeple's opinions but I feel like in Britain smokers would feel uncomfortable. Some people might even say they would feel almost like a second class person. In many public buildings you have to go to unatractive places and the public really makes you feel that you are doing something wrong and unlogical.
On the other hand I don't know how we could decrease smoking while having so many problematic issues.
Erol, sen çok sigara içiyor musun? You look like you smoke a lot. Even in your picture I think you were smoking.

saol ceyrano..by the way these poems show how we dignify this shit..but unfortunately its in my life for 8 years and all bad relationships must finish..as hoping this shit would remain in my mind just with poems i ll add one more..
Biz ela göz ince bel sütun bacak için sevmedik yavrum,
Gümbür gümbür atan bir yürek diledik kavgada,
Ateşin yanında barut;barutun yanında ateş olasın diye,
Çilingir sofralarında söyleşip,ACI TÃœTÃœN İÇERCESİNE sevdik,
Anlayamadılar...

erdinç thanks for ur help..ur all right in the things u write..as an answer to ur question if i stop smoking i am sure everyone can.. i smoke disastrous...2 packets a day..i ll try my best..and if i can give it up..ill have right to say people to stop smoking but now i dont have..

Thank you for the poem, oience. That's really great. I understood once again that I do love Turkish language (also cigarette.)

by the way i see that google advirisments about smoking just added to our conversation..fu.ken capitalism never lose any opportuniities..for not to give them a chance i ll demand u not to write anymore here..at least as an answer to me please..

Yes, that's what Elisa have noticed before you. It's really interesting!

yes maybe you right....most of us smoke....but that doesnt mean everybody......for example i and all my familiy dont smoke....i think turkısh men smoke bcos of bad life conditions(like murmuring women,expensive life)but we all know our friends and family also affect us.....anyway.....normally i never write under such entries which dont make me smile....but a good subject to say someword about......

look george best and dont smoke and drink......

Hehe Rayaman, you are very naughty "murmering women"!!! Your post has driven me to light up another cigarette - and at £5 per packet in the UK, you have made my life expensive also!!

Hehe - but I am a girl!!!! This will not affect me (only my boyfriend I think). Really - do I look like a boy?!!

Hahaha.

Wow cigarettes are really expensive in UK! And then here we're complaining that they are like 4-5 EUROS, not Pounds muhahaha.

Yeah i think making it expensive and making them feel slightly 'uncomfortable' is a good way. Better is to start at youth and at primary schools with information how bad it is. You can influence young kids but you won't be able to stop the older generation that already smokes nowadays i think.

In holland now they write 'Smoking is deadly' and other slogans that say the bad risks of smoking on the packages (ive seen this in france too, i think its something EU?)but i really doubt if it helps.. because now they sell special covers for your package so that you don't have to see it hahaha

Hehe - well done Cyrano!
Smoking is bad for me, and expensive, and not nice for other people I know, but one thing is sure - I WILL DIE, as will all of us, for some reason or another! If not cigarettes, then maybe in my car. Should I stop driving my car? It is certainly as bad for your health, and worse for the planet.

I think the legalisation of softdrugs in Holland is something VERY good.

In the past, many people were killed, prostitutes were not only sexually abused but also in order to get soft drugs from, many crimes were committed, especially in Amsterdam. It's been stated that the legalisation of softdrugs in Holland has prevented many crimes. And the chances of having huge hard-drugs going on, is smaller, because people stick to softdrugs: its safer and cheaper, so why risk for the hard-drugs?

I'm not saying the situation in Amsterdam is perfect nowadays. They are even discussing the Red Light District now. And still crimes are committed, but that's in every big city and im afraid this human nature wont change. All i know that the legalisation of softdrugs has turned out to be quite fine for Holland. I think that's partly because we are a small country so we can keep it in control.

Neither I'm saying softdrugs are good. I don't smoke or use any kind of drugs, im no alcoholic. I just love my glass of wine for dinner and my baileys in my coffee, thats it. But i think by forbidding something, you make it more attractive for young people. If you force people into something, they will stronger try to reject this, tho if you wouldnt force them, they would not reject so strongly.

is it difficult to ask a turkish man/boy to quit smoking?? cos my boyfriend does smoke, 3 or 4 cigarettes per day, but i hate passive smoking very much, i just want him to quit, it is hard though~ at least smoke as less as he can

I realy aprreciate this aspect of Europen/Western people too much: You really do know how to hide "reality" using your languages cleverly. Here is one of the best examples of this:

"soft-drug"

Marvellous! I loved the adjective "soft" there. "softdrug" has also reminded me other uses of the adjectives "soft" and "hard".

For example: "soft-porno"

But it seems to me that drug is drug just like porno is porno. Beyond this may merely be the footnote!

I nevertheless want to thank you for sharing your opinion with us.

I think that you made an intelligent reflection, cyrano! In swedish we have many expressions to pretend that some things just not are what they really are. Mostly those expressions sound academic and comes from politicians that want to hide what they are really doing.
Don´t you have that in Turkey?

Have you actually ever watched porn? Then you wouldn't say this because there is DEFINITELY a HUGE difference between soft porn and hard porn! The last one really just makes me sick.

The same is for soft drugs and for hard drugs. You are not gonna say that someone who's on a diet has anorexia. You use a term that defines in what state something is.

And the thing you say about using words to hide things, that is not about being European or Western. This is something politicians do. And not just politician in Europe. They do it in Turkey too and in any place of the world.

Most people think that Holland is such a free place that everyone is drug addicted and is doing prostitution. There is a wrong belief that buying heroin is like buying a cigarette there. I think the Dutch government is not so stupid to let them free. Hard drugs like cocaine and morphine and heroin cause physical addiction and death in the end.
It's cannabis which is a soft drug and it doesn't cause physical addiction or violance. In the Netherlands cannabis use is legal under limitations.
And as a note the drug usage among youth is the least in the Netherlands among europe, and usually the ones that are most interested in cannabis and come to Holland for it are the tourists

Yes!! You are so right Meltem !!! When im on holiday and people find out im from Holland, the first things thy ask are if i live in Amsterdam and if i carry any drugs with me and if so, if they can see !!!

I work with people who use drugs, 'soft' and 'hard'! I think the thing to consider is that what works in one country doesn't necessarily work in another country, becuase it depends on the cultural 'mentality' of the people. For example. England has just changed the laws for how long people can drink alcohol. There is this crazy idea that we can be like a kind of 'French' cafe society. This just aint gonna happen. It is absolutely terrible in all the big cities in england, with people drinking themselves into oblivion every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. The violence, the injuries the number of police who sit outside the pubs and clubs when they close are amazing. You can see young girls lying in the street in pools of vomit and urine. It is disgusting.
The same with drugs. It is no longer a criminal offence to be in possession of cannabis, providing it is a small amount and for 'personal use' - This has done nothing to prevent people using heroin crack cocaine and the new drug from America called crystal meth!

Many people don't realise also that cannabis use can cause 'phychosis' in some vulnerable people. I work with 3 men who are now phychotic from cannabis use. They all hear voices, their lives are ruined and they are completely mad, doomed forever to take prescription medications just so they can be 10% 'normal'. And this through cannabis. Young people who smoke cannabis 12/13 years old, are then prey to the drug dealers who will happily give them free heroin and crack to get them addicted and then they are doomed to alife of crime to pay for it.

i work with a guy who spends £1,000 per day on crack cocaine. He is responsible him along for up to £50,000 PER WEEK of crime - yes those figures are correct! That is just one person! I could go on all night about this!

Legalising some drugs may work in some countries, but there is no evidence that the same thing would work in, for example England - my own view is that it would not!

Something to be soft or hard usually depends on either common sense, the massa (massa is plural for nobody, but nobody has a strong voice in the world these days..) or what is to be our moral. And whether you love hard or soft porn or drugs.. the majority of the people knows what they do is like 'wrong'. They have little guilt feeligns about it, they are ashamed or the realise its not 'normal'.

Hehe no problem if you didn't like Holland. Because i dont like Holland that much myself

And i also agree it doesn't work for every country. But what Meltem said its true.

That's what I actually suspected about you. Ehi! ehi!

I do like many countries includind Europen countries.

Yeah .....or maybe I just haven't met many Turksih men

Smoking Statistics for Turkey

There's a 1 in 2 chance of any Turkish man you meet (in Turkey) smoking...

H.

Actually I hit it "lucky" and landed a smoker on the first try...

Joy.

H.

And today is national no smoking day in the UK!!!

I doubt very much that Can considers my going out with him to be an insult!

H.