Abstract
Objectives
This study aims to identify the locations where tobacco products are sold around schools as well as the different marketing strategies followed at the different points of sale (POS).tify
Methods
This study was conducted in five Egyptian governorates (Cairo, Giza, Qualiubia, Sharkia and BeniSuif) representing different geographical regions in Egypt. An observational study was conducted around 102 schools from July to September 2024. The study examined location and products marketing tactics in retailers within 100 m of selected schools.
Results
The study revealed that over half of retailers surrounding the surveyed schools sold at least one type of tobacco and nicotine product. Nearly all schools studied had at least one tobacco POS within a 100-meter radius. All surveyed tobacco POS displayed tobacco products. Different tactics of marketing to children and youth were identified.
Conclusions
School-age children in Egypt face exposure to tobacco products and advertising. Policymakers must act urgently by enforcing advertising bans and restricting product availability, especially around schools, to protect youth from harm.
This study aims to identify the locations where tobacco products are sold around schools as well as the different marketing strategies followed at the different points of sale (POS).tify
Methods
This study was conducted in five Egyptian governorates (Cairo, Giza, Qualiubia, Sharkia and BeniSuif) representing different geographical regions in Egypt. An observational study was conducted around 102 schools from July to September 2024. The study examined location and products marketing tactics in retailers within 100 m of selected schools.
Results
The study revealed that over half of retailers surrounding the surveyed schools sold at least one type of tobacco and nicotine product. Nearly all schools studied had at least one tobacco POS within a 100-meter radius. All surveyed tobacco POS displayed tobacco products. Different tactics of marketing to children and youth were identified.
Conclusions
School-age children in Egypt face exposure to tobacco products and advertising. Policymakers must act urgently by enforcing advertising bans and restricting product availability, especially around schools, to protect youth from harm.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 3055 |
| Journal | BMC Public Health |
| Volume | 25 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 24 Sept 2025 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 24 Sept 2025 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© The Author(s) 2025.
Data Availability Statement
No datasets were generated or analysed during the current studyAcknowledgements
We would like to express our gratitude to Katie Walsh, Kim De Rose, and Emma Green from Vital Strategies who supported this work. We thank Jenny Brown and Elizabeth Crespi from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, whose work provided a valuable foundation for this research. We also extend our gratitude to Larissa Al-Uar from Tobacco Free Jordan and Nour Obeidat and Tamam Alnaimat from King Hussein Cancer Center, who generously shared their experience in conducting similar research in Jordan. We would particularly thank Moaz Elsayed Abouelmagd, Youssef Ashmawy, Nagwa Ibrahim, Salma Ibrahim, Youssef Ashraf, Yara Nader, Abdelrahman Reda, Mohamed Nabil and Rahma Keita who have done the field work in collecting the data. Clinical trial Not applicable.Funding
This study was supported through a grant from Vital Strategies on behalf of Bloomberg Philanthropies and conducted as a collaboration between researchers from Cairo University and Egypt Health Foundation. The contents of this study are the sole responsibility of the authors and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the positions of the donors.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Vital Strategies | |
| Cairo University |
Keywords
- Advertisement
- Retail facilities
- Schools
- Tobacco products
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
