Healthy lifestyle Turkmenistan has the lowest proportion of smokers worldwide

Turkmenistan: the country with the lowest proportion of smokers in the world
Only eight percent of the population smoke: That's a world record! Turkmenistan has the lowest proportion of smokers from all countries in the world. The government in the state is promoting a healthy lifestyle.

In Turkmenistan, according to the WHO, only eight percent of the population smoke. (Image: Niko Endres / fotolia.com)

Restrict tobacco use and its consequences
Smokers worldwide not only suffer from and suffer from lung cancer, but also many other diseases such as various cancers or cardiovascular diseases. Everywhere health experts are thinking about how to reduce tobacco use and its consequences more. Only recently, a German addiction physician called for cash registers to pay for smoking cessation. To better cope with the problem, it may be worth taking a look at Turkmenistan. 

Congratulations from the director of the WHO
The Central Asian Republic of Turkmenistan is the country with the lowest proportion of smokers in the world, according to AFP news. According to a study by the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that only eight percent of the Turkmen population are smokers. "I congratulate you on this achievement," said WHO Director Margaret Chan. She expressed herself in the capital Ashgabat at an international health forum.

Engaged in the fight against smoking
In Turkmenistan, public events were held in April under the motto "Health and happiness". In particular, former President Saparmurat Niyazov, who died in 2006, was heavily involved in the fight against smoking. According to the figures, in 1990, 27 percent of Turkmen men and one percent of women still smoked. In 1992, Saparmurat Nijasow became head of state of Turkmenistan. Finally, in 2000, smoking was banned in all public places, in government buildings, and in the army. In the mountains near Ashkhabad, the head of state set up a 36-kilometer so-called health track, which government members had to take once a year. In 2012, according to WHO surveys, 31.1 percent of men aged 15 and over smoked in the world. Accordingly, 6.2 percent were women. (Ad)