Rehab Ahmed discovers how one housewife's efforts are turning into a nationwide anti-smoking campaign Nesreen Osama Daboose, the founder of Hayah Bela Tadkheen (the Smoke-Free Life Society, SFLC) is determined that Egyptians who smoke should quit the habit and that youngsters who have never held a cigarette will not begin. Thirty-five-year old Daboose, a housewife, graduated from the Faculty of Arts, philosophy section, is married with two daughters. Her campaign began when a family member died. "He was healthy and suddenly complained from a pain in the chest," she recounts. "His wife told me that he died while smoking a cigarette and she wondered whether God would forgive him for smoking or not." This relative left a young daughter and a wife behind and the loss triggered Daboose's determination to fight against tobacco "which daily kills people more than guns, tanks and bombs". Perseverance and determination are the weapons she deploys in her battle. "I began the campaign alone, then we became two. Now we have a group of 15 devoted members whose aim is to do the right thing," she says. The SFLC is currently affiliated to Asdiqaa Al-Khair charity organisation but they have applied to the Ministry of Social Solidarity to set up an independent organisation of their own. The society has already attracted actors and sports celebrities to their cause, believing that their influence, on some target groups at least, is stronger than that of doctors. "We aim to approach people through a variety of means and perspectives in order to create a tobacco-free society aware of the dangers of smoking. Young people, for instance, we contact through Facebook." But older smokers, says Daboose, are more stubborn than young ones and many quit only when they start to suffer serious health problems. Businessmen also play an important role in the campaign. The society stages competitions with prizes, including TVs and DVDs, donated by a local electronic company. Mansour Amer, the owner of a well-known restaurant chain, also supports the campaign. Smoking is banned in all his cafés and restaurants. "I did not hesitate when I took the decision, despite the fear that profits would decline. In fact customers respected my decision and gradually profits have increased." TV presenter Alaa Bassiouni is one of the public faces of the SFLC campaign. "We have to deal with smoking seriously," he says. "It is a life and death issue. Poor countries could make use of the billions spent on tobacco to develop their economies and modernise infrastructure. And we should remember that Al-Azhar issued a fatwa in 1999 forbidding smoking." Despite World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics that five million smokers a year die because of tobacco use people have various motives when it comes to quitting. The fatwa influenced many young smokers. It was reinforced by Pope Shenouda III, who also declared that smoking was prohibited. Wael Abdel-Meguid, 43, had been a heavy smoker for 12 years. When he quit he became a medical consultant for SFLC. "It all started when I was preparing my masters degree and found out that many young people get heart clots due to nicotine. The irony was that I was a physician and aware of all the health hazards of smoking and I still smoked. That changed when I attended a contest organised by the SFLC at Maadi Club. There was a young preacher called Osama Hosni who told the audience that Islamic teachings forbid smoking. As soon as I heard that I decided to quit smoking." Rasha Mohamed, 29, a public relations manger, says she began smoking in emulation of her own mother. Yet ironically, it was her own motherhood that helped her stop. "As soon as I became pregnant, I quit. My husband has never smoked in his life and he helped me stop. He was disgusted by the smell of my breath. I also did it for the sake of my daughter." The Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) of WHO recently marked the first anniversary of SFLC by hosting a meeting during which Fatma El-Awwa, WHO regional advisor for tobacco control, told the audience that, "in the hope of creating a solid partnership, it is very important to support and fortify NGO activities at all levels." Actress Hanan Tork, also an SFLC member, highlights the importance of the role of media in anti- smoking campaigns. Actors, as influential role models should, she argues, set a good example. "I hope that eventually we will be able to ban smoking in movies and on TV and end tobacco advertisements as well." EMRO is working with its 22 members in the region to strengthen legal capacity and civil society infrastructure to facilitate greater tobacco control. Currently it is designing a Facebook page that will allow NGO associates working on tobacco control to exchange ideas and experiences. El-Awwa is proud of the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC), which she views as EMRO's major achievement in the last six years. Adopted in 2003, the convention is the first international treaty to deal with a public health topic. Seventeen members of EMRO have signed up, joining Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Somalia and Djibouti. "I think what has helped us a lot in our campaigns is that we have provided real life stories of people who have successfully stopped smoking," says Ibrahim El-Kordani, EMRO spokesman and advisor for media and communication. "I have many quotations from movie stars like Adel Imam and late singer Hoda Sultan. Stars have great influence on people." Hamdi El-Sayed, head of the Doctors' Syndicate and of the People's Assembly Health Committee, has spearheaded moves to better implement existing legislation and accords to which Egypt is already a signatory through setting up a dedicated directory within the Ministry of Health. Mohamed Mehrez, of the ministry's Tobacco Control Department, explains that Law 154/2007 requires that health warnings on cigarette packets be increased in size, occupy both the front and back of the packet, and be accompanied by a pictorial warning for the 40 per cent of the population who are illiterate. Smoking is also banned in educational and health premises, social and sports clubs, government buildings and indoor areas, though implementation is lax. El-Sayed though, remains critical of government attempts to police its own regulations when it comes to enforcing anti-smoking legislation. Certainly there would seem to be a conflict of interest in reducing the number of smokers when excise duties of tobacco provide a major source of government income. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health is already working alongside the Egyptian Red Crescent and the Ministry of Education to tackle smoking amongst children, running campaigns in 400 schools across Greater Cairo of the risks of smoking. A recent Ministry of Health survey of second and third preparatory and first secondary students revealed that some children begin smoking as early as 10.
