Tobacco smoking in Turkmenistan

In Turkmenistan, smoking is allowed and cigarettes are regulated with some control measures. Under these regulations, the sale and purchase of cigarettes are legal, but purchasing them from online channels and through vending machines is prohibited. Importing cigarettes for trade is permitted with an import license. Additionally, cigarette packaging must include health warnings to inform consumers about the risks associated with smoking. The minimum legal age to purchase tobacco products including cigarettes is 21 years. Smoking is legally restricted in public places such as healthcare and educational facilities to protect non-smokers from secondhand smoke exposure. Moreover, advertising of tobacco products is regulated which bans all forms of advertising. The total taxation rate on cigarettes in Turkmenistan is 31.32% with a specific excise tax rate of 18.27%.

The current prevalence of tobacco smoking among adults aged 15 years and older in Turkmenistan, as of 2024, shows distinct disparities between genders. The current smoking prevalence among males was 9.5%, whereas among females it was only 0.4%, with an overall prevalence of 4.8%. These data reflect a slight decrease from the 2020 figures, where the overall current prevalence was 10.80% among males and the overall prevalence was 5.50%. The number of current smokers in 2024 was approximately 238,000 individuals which shows a minor increase from 224,155 reported in 2020.

In terms of mortality, tobacco-related deaths in Turkmenistan constituted 9.02% of all deaths in 2021 in the country, with a higher impact on males (13.06%) compared to females (3.94%). In absolute numbers, this represents 3,941 tobacco-related deaths, of which 3,179 were male deaths and 762 were female deaths. These figures illustrate the ongoing public health challenge posed by smoking in Turkmenistan.