Smoking trend in the Egyptian drama in the holy month of Ramadan 2021–2025
Abstract
BackgroundDespite Egypt's commitment to WHO FCTC and implementation of MPOWER measures, smoking depictions in entertainment media continue to represent a major regulatory loophole. Ramadan television dramas, may normalize smoking behaviors and indirectly promote tobacco use. This study aims to investigate smoking trends in Egyptian Ramadan dramas 2021–2025.MethodsThis observational media-monitoring study analyzed all Egyptian television series broadcast during Ramadan seasons from 2021 to 2025. A data collection tool was used to record smoking-related variables; number of episodes including smoking, type of tobacco product, gender of actors who smoked, smoking context, venue, and pro- vs. anti-tobacco messaging. Quality assurance was ensured through unified tool, observers' training, random auditing and double data entry review.ResultsSmoking depictions were highly prevalent across all monitored seasons. The proportion of series containing tobacco scenes ranged from 96.3% in 2021 to 100% in 2022. The year 2025 recorded the highest proportion of episodes including tobacco use to the total number of episodes (58%) and a marked increase in unlit tobacco scenes (114 scenes). Smoking was predominantly portrayed indoors (73.1%−77.6%) and mainly involved male characters smoking individually. Commercial cigarettes remained the dominant product; however, newer tobacco products increased substantially in 2025 (9.8% vs. 2.9% in 2024). Smoking scenes frequently occurred in strategic focus and interpersonal/social dynamics contexts.ConclusionSmoking remains extensively normalized in Egyptian Ramadan dramas, with increasing visibility of emerging tobacco products and persistent pro-tobacco messaging. Stronger regulatory oversight and collaboration with media producers are urgently needed to align entertainment practices with national tobacco control objectives.
Related
- Decision-tree analysis of characteristics associated with 6-month smoking abstinence in Taiwan.
- Tobacco control policies in Italy: A time-trend analysis of smoking prevalence disparities, 2001-2023.
- Long-term trends in past-month smoking prevalence following tobacco control legislation in Chile: an age-period-cohort analysis
- Associations of planned pre-iftar walking and Ramadan step count with cardiometabolic changes among Palestinian university students
- Changes in CGM-Derived Glycemic Metrics and Triglyceride-Glucose Index During Ramadan in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Using Real-Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring
BibTeX
@article{mostafa2026smoking,
title = {{Smoking trend in the Egyptian drama in the holy month of Ramadan 2021–2025}},
author = {Nayera S. Mostafa and Nelly Hegazy and Randa Abou Elnaga and Fatimah M. S. El-Awa and Wagdy Amin},
journal = {Frontiers in Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2026.1975894},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1975894},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Smoking trend in the Egyptian drama in the holy month of Ramadan 2021–2025
AU - Nayera S. Mostafa
AU - Nelly Hegazy
AU - Randa Abou Elnaga
AU - Fatimah M. S. El-Awa
AU - Wagdy Amin
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/05
JO - Frontiers in Public Health
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1975894
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1975894
AB - BackgroundDespite Egypt's commitment to WHO FCTC and implementation of MPOWER measures, smoking depictions in entertainment media continue to represent a major regulatory loophole. Ramadan television dramas, may normalize smoking behaviors and indirectly promote tobacco use. This study aims to investigate smoking trends in Egyptian Ramadan dramas 2021–2025.MethodsThis observational media-monitoring study analyzed all Egyptian television series broadcast during Ramadan seasons from 2021 to 2025. A data collection tool was used to record smoking-related variables; number of episodes including smoking, type of tobacco product, gender of actors who smoked, smoking context, venue, and pro- vs. anti-tobacco messaging. Quality assurance was ensured through unified tool, observers' training, random auditing and double data entry review.ResultsSmoking depictions were highly prevalent across all monitored seasons. The proportion of series containing tobacco scenes ranged from 96.3% in 2021 to 100% in 2022. The year 2025 recorded the highest proportion of episodes including tobacco use to the total number of episodes (58%) and a marked increase in unlit tobacco scenes (114 scenes). Smoking was predominantly portrayed indoors (73.1%−77.6%) and mainly involved male characters smoking individually. Commercial cigarettes remained the dominant product; however, newer tobacco products increased substantially in 2025 (9.8% vs. 2.9% in 2024). Smoking scenes frequently occurred in strategic focus and interpersonal/social dynamics contexts.ConclusionSmoking remains extensively normalized in Egyptian Ramadan dramas, with increasing visibility of emerging tobacco products and persistent pro-tobacco messaging. Stronger regulatory oversight and collaboration with media producers are urgently needed to align entertainment practices with national tobacco control objectives.
SN - 2296-2565
ER -