CAIRO - A survey on tobacco usage by adults revealed that the rate of smokers was 20 per cent for those up to the age of 15 and nearly 38 per cent for male adult smokers, who had been smoking for more than 15 years. The highest rate of smokers was in the category of males between 25 and 64. The survey was conducted among 25,000 smokers, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the Central Statistics and Mobilising Agency and the World Health Organisation. The rate of Shisha (water pipe) smoking reached 3.3 per cent among adults. 56 per cent smoked Shisha at home, which exposed all family members to passive smoking. 36 per cent smoked Shisha in coffee shops. Dr Mustafa Lutfi, responsible for the fight against smoking at the World Health Organisation in Cairo, made these comments at a conference marking the celebration of 'World Day of Bronchial Asthma'. The survey also showed that 71 per cent of Egyptians were allowed to smoke at home. 50 per cent of people frequenting medical establishments were exposed to passive smoking. 80 per cent of passengers were subject to passive smoking, when using public transport, and up to 60 per cent of employees suffered from smoking hazards at their work place. The average smoker spent LE110 per month on tobacco; 98 per cent were fully aware that tobacco caused dangerous diseases, and 96 per cent knew that passive smoking was equally dangerous. Dr Hisham Taraf, professor of allergy and immunity at Qasr el-Aini School of Medicine at Cairo University, who was chairing the conference, noted that medication and other means of treatment helped to control bronchial asthma. He added that modern electronic devices contributed to an accurate diagnosis on inflammations of the respiratory system, including bronchial illnesses and tuberculosis. The use of such devices on a wide scale would contribute to fighting the spread of bronchial illnesses. Dr Mohamed Awad Tag el-Din, professor of chest diseases, noted that 10 per cent of children had asthma, while the figure for adults was 7 to 8 per cent. He attributed this to genetic and environmental reasons. There was a big crisis among children exposed to passive smoking. The accumulative impact constituted a big danger to their respiratory systems and hearts, he added. Quitting smoking could prevent health deterioration, particularly among young people, because they did not yet feel any ill effects. Dr Mayssa Sharf Eddin, professor of chest diseases, told Al-Ahram semi-official newspaper that new laws were the only way to overcome the problems caused by smoking. There had to be a complete ban, not only in medical establishments, but also in governmental buildings, educational institutions and sports clubs. She stressed that early detection and diagnosis would prevent patients with asthma from having severe complications. According to Dr Mona el-Falk, in 80 per cent of patients the symptoms appeared when they were five years old.
