War stress reported as reason 37% of Israeli smokers lighting up |
The percentage of Israeli adults who smoke cigarettes has climbed over the past year from 20% to 24%, according to data released by the Israel Cancer Association on International No Tobacco Day, observed on May 31.
About 37% of smokers said they have started, resumed, or increased the frequency of smoking recently due to stress, anxiety, or the security situation, including during the US-Israel military campaign against Iran, which was launched on February 28.
A third of the general public knows someone who has started or resumed smoking due to the situation. And among smokers, the number rises to about 50%.
The national survey also revealed the rising numbers of young people who have tried e-cigarettes, or vaping, and spotlighted the continued exposure to secondhand smoke in public places and increased smoking rates among men, now at 34%.
Among people aged 16-34, e-cigarette use rose sharply to 24%. E-cigarette use stands at 15% overall. Hookah smoking has increased from 11% last year to 15%, and cigar use has climbed from 2% to 5%.
“We are very concerned about the survey results indicating an increase in the smoking phenomenon, especially among young people,” Moshe Bar-Haim, CEO of the Israel Cancer Association, said in a statement.
Graphic warnings on all smoking products
The increase in smoking comes despite public campaigns, educational activities, and warnings on cigarette packs.
In contrast, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the UK have a 13% smoking rate.
Across OECD countries, 14.8% of people aged 15 and over smoked daily in 2023. The proportion of daily smokers was highest in Turkey, Hungary, and Greece.
On August 6, an Israeli law will come into effect requiring graphic warning images to be printed not only on packages of regular cigarettes but also on electronic cigarettes, tobacco-heating........