The average monthly expenditure of a cigarette smoker in Egypt is LE110, according to an Egyptian government report released Monday. The report, issued by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, said 80 percent of public transport users are subjected to passive smoking, with the exception of those on the underground. The report said slightly more than one third of workers are exposed to passive smoking at their workplaces, despite the existence of policies banning smoking in public places. According to a survey conducted in 2009, approximately 10 million Egyptians use one type of tobacco, of whom 16.2 percent smoke cigarettes, 3.3 percent water pipes and 2.6 percent chewing tobacco. The report added that 25.8 percent of smokers fall in the age category of 45-64 years, and the average daily consumption of male smokers is one pack of cigarettes, compared to half a pack for females. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the total number of smokers in the world is estimated at 1.3 billion, expected to rise to 1.7 billion by 2025. The WHO said every day, 80,000 to 100,000 young people become smokers. Translated by the Arabic Edition
