Why and How to Quit Smoking

The author is a psychiatrist who ran a newspaper health column for years and served as deputy chairman of Yeşilay. The preface sets the tone at once: smoking is '4,000 poisons', 'bad breath, yellowed teeth, dirty ashtrays' and 'slavery'. This is the classic approach of scaring and disgusting the reader. The opening sections begin with statistics: a 36% rise in cigarette pack sales in Turkey between 1993 and 1999, 63% of men and 25% of women smoking, 108,000 deaths a year.

The problem is that the figures are unchecked and contradictory. In one place 10 million people are said to die from smoking worldwide each year; a few pages later we read 'one death every 8 seconds' (roughly 4 million a year). Another box states that 'our country spends 40 million dollars a day, and 15 million dollars a year, on cigarettes' — an obvious misprint. The claim that 'smoking destroys the P53 gene and this is passed from father to son' is badly oversimplified: tobacco smoke can cause mutations in the p53 gene, but these occur in body cells and are not inherited. For a 2010 edition, figures from the 1990s are also out of date.

The most useful part is the 'How to Quit' section, which gathers practical, sensible advice: don't postpone the decision, tell family and friends, throw away ashtrays and lighters, avoid alcohol, spend the cigarette money on a treat, walk every day, drink water or chew sugar-free gum when cravings strike, cut caffeine in the first days, keep your hands busy. The author prefers quitting at once over cutting down, and stresses that a few failed attempts do not mean 'total failure' — a correct and encouraging message.

In the same section religious motivation comes to the fore: after tearing up a patient's cigarette pack, the doctor advises him to go to Eyüp Mosque and pray after the prayer service; another patient chooses a holy night (kandil), others Ramadan or the pilgrimage to Mecca as their starting point. 'The Islamic Ruling on Smoking' quotes the official opinion of Turkey's Directorate of Religious Affairs that smoking is 'at the very least strongly disapproved, close to forbidden'. For a devout reader this may be genuinely powerful motivation, but since the book is presented as a medical guide, readers should know what to expect.

The most serious problem lies in the 'Methods' section. Hypnosis and acupuncture are presented as effective 'if the smoker believes in them', although research has not shown them to work. Conversely, while the author gives detailed information on nicotine replacement therapy (patches, gum) recommended by the World Health Organization, he concludes that it is 'better to stay away' because it 'prolongs dependence'. This runs against current medical consensus: nicotine replacement products significantly increase the chances of quitting. Medication gets a single paragraph and is not even named. Would-be quitters can read this booklet for motivation, but should see a doctor when choosing treatment.

• Very plain language and short sections — readable in an hour or two
• Real patient stories (Saniye, Emire, Şükran and others) bring the topic to life
• Memorable boxed quotes and slogans on almost every page