If you are a non-smoker coming to Egypt, you will be hard pressed, better said "impossible" to find a non smoking restaurant, except inside McDonalds, or maybe other rare ones I have never seen. Smoking in taxis is common, and everywhere, even areas marked "no smoking" it is not unusual to see a ashtray full of butts below the sign.
Recently, cigarette taxes increased (news said 30%) meaning a Pack of Marlborugh (for example) went from 6 LE to 8 LE ($1.12 to $1.50 or UK 0.57 to 0.75).
Killer prices say what!!!!!!!!!!! And there are cheaper brands such as L&M and then the local brand Cleopatra at rock bottom price.
However, seems some government effort is coming in form of another tax hike and they will be putting danger pictures on the packages. One can tell when a rise in prices is coming because places selling cigs will not have popular brands available - only ones that are that are not popular here like Kent, Rothmans. Reason is, the middle men distributors hoard them so to make more profit by selling at higher price, even though they bought at old price.
A recent article in news explains the smoking popularity where stated 60% of males smoke in Egypt compared to 24% in USA. Don't know where they got these statistics but 60% only seems very low and then those that don't smoke cigarettes likely smoke shisha water pipes at the many coffee shops. See article at this LINK
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