CAIRO: As one of the active movements to eliminate smoking in Egypt, lower air pollution and enhance public health, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged the Minister of Information to run a bar at the bottom of the television series broadcast during the holy month of Ramadan indicating that smoking is a dangerous habit that causes severe harm to the smoker's health. Dr Fatimah El-Awa, regional advisor of Tobacco Free Initiative Focal Point, Health and Human Rights at the WHO, told Daily News Egypt that the organization was the main force behind this new policy which imposed restrictions on smoking scenes in TV serials. "In some TV serials like 'Al-Daly' - starring Nour Al-Sherif playing the part of an Egyptian businessman and former minister during the 70s - [the actor] was smoking all the time despite the fact that he was playing a sick person who was not allowed to smoke, El-Awa said. According to El-Awa, these scenes encourage smoking among youth. However, "Al-Daly was the only show that ran the bar highlighting the health hazards of smoking. El-Awa also said that the WHO was subject to criticism from the media and moviemakers who considered this new policy an "unneeded interference from the WHO in Egyptian drama and show business. However, El-Awa said that in Iran, an announcement that states the negative effects of smoking is featured in the news bar that runs at the bottom of TV serials that have smoking scenes. El-Awa also said there should be a restriction on "the unneeded smoking scenes that do not affect the flow of events and the drama. If a TV serial is to have more than the restricted number of scenes, then it should be rated to restrict viewing to a certain age group, El-Awa said. Al-Awa said it is appropriate to censor television serials, adding that the USA has a similar policy that restricts violent and sexual scenes to a certain age group. El-Awa also calls for a picture accompanying the warning announcement as "many Egyptians are illiterate and might not be able to read the announcement. El-Awa acknowledged the government's efforts to decrease smoking. She mentioned how the fatwa, Islamic edict, initially issued by former Grand Mufti Nasr Farid Wassel a few years ago was reissued by the current Mufti Sheikh Ali Gomaa, prohibiting smoking and calling it "Islamically incorrect. This information is distributed by the Ministry of Religious Endowments, along with the WHO, in mosques all over Egypt. Although the fatwa has proven to be very effective in the sense that many shops stopped selling tobacco, she says the fatwa is not enough to decrease the number of smokers in Egypt. "More than one institution and ministry, including the Ministry of Interior, should join the WHO and the sheikhs to make Egypt a smoke-free country, El-Awa said. "The Ministry of Health has also issued a new law that prohibits smoking in public areas, El-Awa added. A WHO press release issued on Nov. 2 reported that there were less smoking scenes on this year's television shows. Out of the 14 serials that aired on local Egyptian TV, five were committed to not including any unnecessary smoking scenes. The WHO issued another press release in July 2006 urging moviemakers to be more "positive towards their society and introduce movies free from smoking and alcohol scenes.
