Egypt looks to reduce its smoking incidence

Twenty four percent of Egyptians are smokers and 12 percent of the country’s smokers are under 15 years of age, according to a story in the Cairo Post quoting the Health Ministry Undersecretary Amr Kandil.

The ministry was reported to have signed a protocol with the Consumer Protection Agency to support quit-smoking activities and thereby reduce the rate of smoking.

President Abel Fatah al-Sisi raised taxes on local and imported cigarettes and alcoholic beverages by up to 200 percent in July last year.

And a presidential decree of February 22 this year raised sales taxes on both local and imported cigarettes by 50 percent.