CAIRO — Egypt’s Association against Smoking, Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases launched Dec. 22 the first observatory for tobacco control in Egypt and the Middle East to monitor any violations on the part of tobacco companies.

Essam el-Moghazy, chairman of the association, said in a phone interview with the Egyptian Mesat Channel Dec. 23 that Egyptians consume 4 billion packs of cigarettes annually, i.e., 80 billion cigarettes, at a cost of more than 70 billion Egyptian pounds ($4.4 billion). In addition, Egyptians consume 50,000 tons of muassel (tobacco used for hookah), costing 3 billion pounds ($191 million) a year, and other types of tobacco that include cigars and pipes.

Moghazy said that smoking reduces the body’s immunity system, making it vulnerable to complications from the coronavirus.

He also stressed that tobacco companies make profitable gains from this industry and do not prevent direct sales to minors or those under 18, adding that these companies even pay some scientists to claim that smoking protects against COVID-19 without relying on any scientific data.