Today is an important day not only for me but also my company. My own story of unsmoking my home is shared by my company, Philip Morris International, on the day we are starting a new year. Yes, it is not the first day of January but today is the first day of “the Year of Unsmoke”. For those who are not familiar with “unsmoke”, let PMI’s Chief Operating Officer Jacek Olczak define it:
Unsmoke is meant “to enable people to make an informed choice about the better alternatives that are available to them”In the video below, you may also see PMI’s Senior VP Global Communications Marian Salzman’s description of “Unsmoke”:
With the launch of “The Year of Unsmoke”, Philip Morris International kicked off an urgent call to action to smokers, nonsmokers, regulators and agents of change across the world to drive a better future for the world’s 1.1 billion smokers and their families, loved ones and communities. The World Health Organization predicts that there will still be more than one billion smokers in 2025. This is an important issue that needs to be addressed. As an employee of PMI and as an “unsmoker” who has things to tell in order to unsmoke the world, I shared my own story and it is published on pmi.com. Here it is:
Unsmoke Hero: Volkan Yorulmaz
“I’ve got one son and he’s got one life." For Volkan Yorulmaz, the prospect of fatherhood prompted his decision to unsmoke his life and home.
The Turkish senior tax analyst is one of hundreds of PMI employees to share their stories in our #Unsmoke campaign, which aims to tap into global efforts to rid the world of smoke.
Volkan decided to quit cigarettes and nicotine altogether when he and his wife were expecting their child. Together, they have given up and are not looking back.
“I had been smoking since I finished university,” he says. “I would describe myself as a social smoker, I really only smoked when I was out with friends or having meals. But that changed when I found out I was going to be a parent.”
“My partner and I decided to quit and we told our friends. From that moment on, they would have to smoke outside if they wanted to have a cigarette when they visited.”
For Volkan and his wife, the decision to unsmoke was the easy part. But getting their friends to agree was more of a challenge since they were accustomed to smoking in their living room when they visited.
Volkan says he and his wife want their guests to feel welcome and at ease. So he was apprehensive about telling them they could no longer smoke in their house.
“I was a bit shy when I first told my friends. I didn’t want them to think I was being rude. Fortunately, they understood why we wanted to do it.”
Volkan and his wife decided that as parents, they would ensure their house stayed smoke-free and their friends supported them. This support was valuable for Volkan because his decision to quit was driven by a desire to be around to enjoy every moment of his young son Okan’s life.
“I’ve got one son and he’s got one life. It’s the same for me and my wife. I unsmoked so I could spend every moment of my life with them. I would say, if you smoke you may see an episode of a television show. But if you unsmoke, you will see the whole series.”
This is my own “unsmoke” experience. I know everyone has different reasons, different stories, and behind all these drivers to unsmoke, the core message is:
If you don’t smoke, don’t start
If you smoke, quit
If you don’t quit, change
Unsmoke
If you smoke, quit
If you don’t quit, change
Unsmoke
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