The Turkish Green Crescent (Yeşilay) has released a report revealing that addictions cost Türkiye’s economy $78 billion each year.

The report, titled “Addiction Economy: The Economic Cost of Tobacco, Alcohol, Gambling and Drug Addiction in Türkiye,” highlights the extensive financial damage caused by addiction. It was announced at a press conference at Sepetçiler Pavilion on Thursday, attended by Green Crescent President Mehmet Dinç, Audit Board Chair Seyithan Ahmet Ateş, and Board Member Hüseyin Hayri Nuroğlu.

“Addictions not only darken individuals’ lives but also cause great harm to Türkiye’s economy,” Dinç said. “They threaten the future of families and countries. Different nations struggle with different addictions – game addiction in Asia, gambling in Australia, and drug abuse in America – some approaching national security threats.”

He added that addictions affect many areas worldwide, including domestic conflicts, workforce losses, health costs, social unrest, accidents, crime and violence, deeply shaking economies.

“Our report shows that Türkiye suffers an annual loss of $78 billion due to addictions,” Dinç said. “To combat this, institutions, the private sector and all segments of society must act together.”

Dinç also spoke about Yeşilay’s “Independence Mobilization” campaign, launched in Istanbul and the Marmara region in November 2024 and expanded to Izmir in the Aegean region. The campaign focuses on prevention efforts to protect youth from addiction, aiming to reduce economic losses and repair the social fabric.

The report, led by Ateş of Ankara Social Sciences University, analyzes addiction’s social and economic harms based on scientific data.

It estimates the annual economic costs in Türkiye as:

• Tobacco: $24 billion
• Alcohol: $9 billion
• Drugs: $5 billion
• Gambling: $40 billion

Gambling addiction is notably high, driven by the uncontrolled growth of online platforms.

The report highlights that tobacco-related health costs reach billions of lira, with social and indirect economic losses equivalent to 2.2% of Türkiye’s gross domestic product (GDP). Cigarette sales have risen 39% over the past 20 years, from 108 billion to 150 billion sticks annually.

Discarded cigarette butts pose environmental problems as well, with the volume equal to 5,000 garbage trucks annually. Some end up in lakes and seas, causing pollution lasting up to 10 years.

Cigarette-related fires also cause economic damage. Data from Istanbul and Izmir fire departments show cigarettes and matches caused 40% of Istanbul’s 27,000 fires in one year, with a direct economic burden estimated at $4 billion.

The report not only details the damage caused by addiction but also suggests how the $78 billion lost annually could be used for public benefit, including:

• 154 new city hospitals
• Housing for 513,000 families
• Free tablets and education support for 18 million students
• 15,000 kilometers (9,320 miles) of high-speed train network
• Electricity for 40 million households
• Support for 50,000 technology startups and projects
• Restoration of 1,000 ancient cities, museums and historic sites
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