Flaccid Stop-Smoking Message on Cigarette Packs Repel Some Egyptians

A public-service campaign that warns smokers of the danger of impotency with the image of a droopy cigarette has been condemned in conservative Egypt, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Feb. 21.

The Ministry of Health ad — placed on every pack of cigarettes sold in the country — warns that, “long-term smoking will affect marital relations,” but some Egyptians seem less concerned with the warning than the imagery. Few people in Egypt speak openly about sex, never mind impotency, and some men said they would not let their wives or sisters see the ads.

“We know smoking is not good for the health, but I can’t believe this,” said Nadir Abdel Rahim, 40. “I’ve been smoking 22 years, and I work just fine. Very fine, actually.”

Egyptians smoke more cigarettes than anyone else in the Arab world. Fatimah El-Awa, a regional tobacco-control advisor for the World Health Organization, said, “The issue of fertility is of great importance to Egyptians, and linking this to tobacco will make a big impact on the users here.”