YASAL DÜZENLEMELERİN SİGARA TÜKETİMİ ÜZERİNDEKİ ETKİLERİ

In this paper we investigate the prominent factors that affect cigarette consumption in Turkey. In this study in particular we focus on the factors of income level, urbanization level, unemployment rate and average cigarette prices as controls together with the laws of 4207 and 5261 that are passed aiming to reduce cigarette consumption. The study data cover 1980-2009 period. The results indicate that, among all, unlike what the literature suggests urbanization has been the most prominent factor behind increasing level of cigarette consumption. Per capita increase at gross domestic product positively affects cigarette consumption, while increasing levels of unemployment rate as well as higher levels of cigarette prices decrease the cigarette consumption level. Parallel to what have been found in many empirical studies across countries, we found that regulatory laws do not curtail the cigarette consumption.