About smoking in Turkey. Ugh. It is everywhere; cigarette butts are pervasive. Cigar and cigarette smoke are allowed in restaurants and it seems no penalty for smoking indoors at mosques and other places. As Americans we are quite spoiled about no cigarette smoke allowed indoors. Halil explained to us it is part of the culture. If proprietors were to forbid smoking, they would lose customers. Many of the men gather (looks like the retired ones) in central parts of the town and hang out and smoke. Halil says the women are happy to have their homes to themselves which they share with female family members and friends.
I recently read China has a big smoking problem but because the Chinese government owns the tobacco industry, and it basically funds their army, they do not have a big anti- smoking campaign. Money talks everywhere.
jeannemolitor 
What about all the lung cancer in the heavy smokers? Do they just die without treatment? It’s not an easy way to die, you’d think that would dissuade the young people
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