Tobacco.org

• 95 percent of 1,000 tons of tobacco illegaly obtained  

Selar, Smyrna, İmeks, and Şerbetli are four firms producing flavored nargile tobacco. The annual sales rate of these firms is about 24 tons. But "tömbeki," a special type of tobacco used in nargile, is only produced by Tekel. The four firms established during 2004-05 to supply flavored tobacco for the domestic market as a result of the recent spread of nargile smoking have tended to exports due to the hegemony of illegal tobacco penetrating the domestic market from abroad, and the increase in taxes. . . .

The Aegean city of İzmir is the center of nargile manufacturing. But Istanbul, too, played its part until a few years ago. Workshops in Kapalıçarşı (the Grand Bazaar) were working hard to supply nargiles to more than 200 souvenir shops in the bazaar. But 25 of about 40 workshops in Kapalıçarşı had to close down due cheap nargiles that were imported from China three years ago. . . .

The latest ban on smoking of tobacco products, including the nargile, was approved in Parliament on Jan. 3, 2008. Nargile cafes have been given an extension of one-an-a-half years to implement the ban.

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