Tiryaki Kukla – Smoking cessation and tobacco prevention among migrants from Turkey in Switzerland
"Tiryaki Kukla" – Smoking cessation and tobacco prevention among migrants from Turkey in Switzerland

Author(s): Michael P. Schaub, Corina Salis Gross, Claudia Arnold
Subject(s): Geography, Regional studies, Substance abuse and addiction, Health and medicine and law, Migration Studies
Published by: Transnational Press London
Keywords: Switzerland; Turkey; migrants; smoking cessation; tobacco prevention; “Tiryaki Kukla”;
Summary/Abstract: As seen in other countries (e.g. for the USA see Baluja et al., 2003), some migrant populations in Switzerland show higher smoking rates than the average population. Recent results from a Swiss survey among the migrant population show significantly higher smoking prevalence rates for Turkish speaking migrants (male: 55.2% and female: 29.5%) than the Swiss population aged 14–65 years (male: 21.7% and female: 19.5%; GMM II, Guggisberg et al., 2011). Additionally, male migrants from Turkey show the highest smoking prevalence rates among the migrant population in Switzerland (ibid.). Turkish-speaking migrants are often also among the highest smoking prevalence groups in other European countries (e.g., Nierkens et al., 2006; Reese et al., 2005). Behavioral therapies in groups (Stead & Lancaster, 2005) or single sessions (Lancaster & Stead, 2005) as well as nicotine replacement therapy (NRT; Stead et al., 2008) have been effective for smoking cessation treatment. In Switzerland, such therapies are offered by several providers (e.g., Cancer League, Lung League), but according to the statements of these providers and of other experts of the Swiss tobacco prevention that we interviewed, they are not able to reach the migrant population effectively. Studies from other countries also refer to problems in reaching migrant populations and show the importance of financial access and language barriers (Burns & Fenton, 2006). Another study highlights the importance of cultural aspects (e.g., norms of the religious leaders) when offering smoking cessation treatment for Turkish migrants (Nierkens et al., 2005).

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