31 May 2015 – Egypt joined in the global commemoration of World No Tobacco Day, which this year focused on the illicit trade of tobacco, through a tobacco control stakeholder event and a public bicycle event.
The illicit trade of tobacco has devastating affects, especially on young people and low-income groups because of the increased accessibility and affordability of these products due to their lower costs. Illicit trade also undermines tobacco control policies such as increased taxes and health information labels.
From 2009 to 2012 the illicit cigarette market in Egypt doubled from 10 billion to 20 billion illicit cigarettes. This resulted in loss of governmental revenues from tobacco tax. The revenue loss increased from less than one billion LE in 2010 to nearly 4 billion LE in 2013.
Egypt celebrated World No Tobacco Day with an event attended by the Ministry of Health and Population, the World Health Organization, the Cairo Association Against Smoking, Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, and the Egyptian Society for Chest Diseases and Tuberculosis, as well as other key stakeholders in the field.
Discussions were held on the important role of nongovernmental organizations in tobacco control and the achievements of the Tobacco Control Department in the Ministry of Health. The devastating consequences of smoking and passive smoking and the increase in shisha were also reviewed.
A bicycle marathon was also held with the theme “Be healthy with no smoke”. Over 550 young people and children attended the event.
Related links
Speech of Dr Henk Bekedam, WHO Representative, on occasion of World No Tobacco Day 2015