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Furthermore, the tobacco company Phillip Morris International announced last September its support to ‘The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World’, aiming at funding several research programs around the world. WHO regards this tobacco industry-funded initiative as a clear attempt to breach the WHO FCTC by interfering in public policies in many countries, damaging the implementation of the Treaty and the progresses made so far to regulate nicotine through public policy. It is important that Turkey continues the path previously marked, following the great achievements made in the implementation of WHO FCTC -introducing smoke-free environments in restaurants, bars and cafes, gradually increasing taxes on tobacco products and including graphic health warnings on cigarette packages. In fact, this sustained political commitment to tobacco control turned Turkey into a global reference and remarkable example of WHO FCTC implementation. In fact, Turkey has been the first country to attain the highest level of achievement in all six MPOWER measures: (1) Monitoring tobacco use and prevention policies, (2) Protecting people from tobacco smoke, (3) Offering help to quit tobacco, (4) Warning about the dangers of tobacco, (5) Enforcing bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship and (6) Raising taxes on tobacco.
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