Egypt...a smokers paradise!!!

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by Colin on Mon Feb 19, 2007 2:54 pm

Hey guys 'n' gals,

Sorry I havent been posting much lately. Been in the Middle East a lot. Just got back from North Africa. Egypt, in fact. Saw a lot of American tourists there, so yall know where it is.... Smile

Here's my little report:

I just got back from Egypt last night. I was there on business but still managed to sneak off for an afternoon to have a look at yon pyramids. (Actually, my MD phoned to see how my trip was going, and asked if I had been to see them. I said no, and he gave me the name of a driver he had used when he was there. Sanctioned slacking...you just cant beat that!)

Anyhoo, when I got off the plane and was going through Immigration, I smoked. When I was waiting for my suitcase, I smoked. When I walked with the guy who organises cabs, he offered me a smoke. When I got in the cab for the drive to Cairo, the driver offered me a smoke. When I was checking into the hotel at 3 am, the checker inner offered me a smoke. When the luggage chap carted my stuff to the room, he offered me a smoke. Next day at breakfast, I was initially disappointed because the air in the restaurant smelled so fresh, but I brightened up when the lady asked if I wanted smoking or non. I smoked on the way to the lift, in the lift, and down the hall to my room.

I smoked in every cab that I was in.

I smoked a shisha pipe in Cairo's oldest market. (Highly recommended, by the way, a lovely smooth smoke, and lots of flavour. My favourite was apple). I liked it so much, I ordered a refill. Try it if you can. A lovely experience).

I even smoked on the back of my horse riding up to the pyramids! Amazing, eh? An old fart like me on a horse....

What a country! A smokers paradise!

And no-one, absolutely no-one, whining about SHS, ETS, passive smoke, filthy smokers, selfish smokers etc etc etc.

The Egyptians smoke wherever they please. There isnt much hope that we will ever return to that state of affairs. Too many prissy whingers.

Get there if you can.

Colin

Smoker Joined: Jul 03, 2006 Posts: 158 Location: Banff, Scotland

by smallbird on Tue Feb 20, 2007 1:59 am

Wonderful descriptions Colin! I love it...

Too bad I have no passport and have never been out of the USA except a couple of times to Canada and once to Mexico by accident. Wink

I love to hear about more tolerant cultures, though. Thank you very much!

smallbird

Enthusiastic Smoker Joined: Jan 03, 2007 Posts: 362

by Colin on Tue Feb 20, 2007 6:02 am

Thanks Smallbird.

I'm sorry, I've gotta ask...

How do you end up in a country by accident?! 8O 8O 8O

Colin

Smoker Joined: Jul 03, 2006 Posts: 158 Location: Banff, Scotland

by smallbird on Tue Feb 20, 2007 11:29 am

Got in the wrong line in my car at the border crossing in Nogales. This was years ago, turned right around and came back...Our car was searched on re-entry. Not a fun time Laughing

We were in Mexico for three minutes.

smallbird

Enthusiastic Smoker Joined: Jan 03, 2007 Posts: 362

by Colin on Tue Feb 20, 2007 11:37 am

Ha!

So you were there long enough to boil an egg, or have a smoke.

Or in my case, long enough to have four rounds of sex...... Embarassed

Colin

Smoker Joined: Jul 03, 2006 Posts: 158 Location: Banff, Scotland

by dumpstermcnuggets on Thu Jul 05, 2007 7:46 am

Interesting, that country sounds like the type of country I'd definatly wanna visit! Not to mention, certain countries I once would've considered traveling to, I'm not even sure if I still wanna go to some of these countries anymore(Ireland and England/UK immediately both come to mind)

And btw, does anyone know if there is any difference between shishas and hookah smoking? I often have thought that both words meant the same thing(smoking tobacco from a water-pipe-like device), but maybe both of these words refer to slightly different things, for all I know.....

Colin wrote:

dumpstermcnuggets Enthusiastic Smoker

Enthusiastic Smoker Joined: Nov 06, 2006 Posts: 312 Location: Health Fascism Capital of the Midwest, Illinois

by Colin on Thu Jul 05, 2007 8:06 am

Hi Dumpster,

There is no difference. It is also called the hubbly-bubbly, or the Nargile.

The basic contraption may differ from region to region but the concept is the same- flavoured tobacco smoked, but cooled as it passed through the water at the bottom of the shisha pipe.

Very relaxing. Give it a blast!

Cheers

Colin.

Colin

Smoker Joined: Jul 03, 2006 Posts: 158 Location: Banff, Scotland

by dumpstermcnuggets on Thu Jul 05, 2007 9:10 am

Colin wrote:

Ok, so I do see I was originally right about hookah/shisha smoking then. Thanks for confirming what I thought all along about those terms meaning the same thing!

dumpstermcnuggets Enthusiastic Smoker

Enthusiastic Smoker Joined: Nov 06, 2006 Posts: 312 Location: Health Fascism Capital of the Midwest, Illinois

by Jay on Thu Jul 05, 2007 9:16 am

>>>And no-one, absolutely no-one, whining about SHS, ETS, passive smoke, filthy smokers, selfish smokers etc etc etc.

The Egyptians smoke wherever they please. There isnt much hope that we will ever return to that state of affairs. Too many prissy whingers.<<<<

So the smoking paradise is in an African country. I ain't surprised. Now I have a betta idea of why I like smoking whereva I want, and I don't whine about SHS and filthy smokers myself.

That behavior would be normal in Egypt. But when I do it here, I'm committing a crime to some in society.

Jay

Enthusiastic Smoker Joined: Jun 10, 2003 Posts: 647 Location: Chicago

by naptownKrabbi on Thu Jul 05, 2007 9:36 am

but beware the insidious anti scourge...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/04/AR2007070400227.html

Egypt Attempts to Curb Smoking in Public

By ANNA JOHNSON
The Associated Press
Wednesday, July 4, 2007; 4:15 AM

CAIRO, Egypt -- In a country where perhaps the most popular national past-time is puffing on a water pipe or chain smoking while drinking tea, new laws designed to curb smoking are receiving a skeptical response.

Egypt's 76 million people smoke billions of cigarettes a year _ one of the highest rates in the Middle East. Smoke-filled offices are the norm here along with taxi drivers who light one cigarette after another while stuck in Cairo's treacherous traffic. Nonsmoking sections in restaurants are unheard of and water-pipe filled cafes often overflow onto sidewalks, leaving the sweet smell of fruit-flavored tobacco lingering on the streets.

Egyptians smoke traditional water pipes at a coffee shop in Cairo, Egypt, Monday, July 2, 2007. Egypt's 76 million people smoke billions of cigarettes a year _ one of the highest rates in the Middle East. The country's parliament recently passed laws banning tobacco advertising, smoking in some public places including government buildings, schools and hospitals and selling tobacco to people under the age of 18.
Egyptians smoke traditional water pipes at a coffee shop in Cairo, Egypt, Monday, July 2, 2007. Egypt's 76 million people smoke billions of cigarettes a year _ one of the highest rates in the Middle East. The country's parliament recently passed laws banning tobacco advertising, smoking in some public places including government buildings, schools and hospitals and selling tobacco to people under the age of 18.

But some doctors and lawmakers here want to change Egypt's smoking culture. The country's parliament recently passed laws banning tobacco advertising and smoking in some public places including government buildings, schools and hospitals.

The law also calls for health warning labels to be put on cigarette packs and allows the government to increase the price of tobacco, according to parliament member Hamdi el-Sayyed, who proposed the new laws. The national cigarette brand, Cleopatra, sells for about 50 cents a pack.

If individuals break the law, they could be fined up $17. Establishments could be forced to pay about $3,500, if they don't follow the law, said el-Sayyed, who also head's Egypt's Doctor's Syndicate.

Egypt's laws are modest and by no means trendsetting compared to other countries including Britain, Ireland, Italy and some U.S. cities where smoking in all indoor public places _ including most restaurants and cafes _ is banned. But they are start, especially for a country where 80 billion cigarettes are smoked a year, el-Sayyed said.

"Part of the objective is to keep children and young people from becoming smoking addicts," he said.

But in a country where a massive government bureaucracy often keeps reform moving at snail's pace and bribing officials is common, there is much doubt that the laws will be enforced.

El-Sayyed said Egypt is trying to address the lack of enforcement by calling for the creation of a tobacco control agency and giving the Ministry of Health jurisdiction. He hopes the laws will be implemented by the end of the summer.

"We are determined to get this through. We are anxious to get this implemented," el-Sayyed said.

But skepticism over how Egypt _ a country burdened by poverty and high unemployment _ would be able to force people not to smoke remains high.

Soliman Mahmoud said he quit smoking 20 years ago but others have not followed his example.

"People here have been trying for a long time to get people not to smoke, but people here don't follow," said Mahmoud while standing on the corner of a congested downtown Cairo street.

Mustafa Ahmed, 25, said laws to curb smoking are a good idea in principle but are not realistic.

"Smoking is popular in Egypt. There is a lot of pressure on people here, especially because the economy is bad. People smoke because they think it will relax them," said Ahmed as he sat on a chair holding a cigarette outside the downtown travel agency where he works.

Sherif Omar, parliament member and professor emeritus with Cairo University's National Cancer Institute, also has doubt over the new laws. He said education was the only way to get young people to put down the water pipe and cigarettes, but anti-smoking education is not part of school curriculum here.

"Law by themselves do not work well unless you have education in schools and in the media," he said.

naptownKrabbi Enthusiastic Smoker

Enthusiastic Smoker Joined: Apr 01, 2005 Posts: 367 Location: Pennsylvania

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