Health Ministry warns of ‘smoking epidemic’ killing 8,000 people a year in Israel
Reporter at The Times of Israel
The Health Ministry says that the rate of smoking –- including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and hookahs –- claims the lives of approximately 8,000 people each year, including 10 percent who are nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke, according to its annual report.
The proportion of Israelis who smoke daily is 23%, while the OECD average is about 20%. The report also states that 26% of the adult population suffers from secondhand smoke, which can cause cancer and other diseases.
One in six children and teenagers has experimented with smoking either cigarettes or electronic smoking products and their use is on the rise, the report says.
“The smoking epidemic is one of the most destructive public health crises,” says Sharon Alroy Preis, the ministry’s head of the Public Health Division. “E-cigarettes are seen as healthy products, but they are dangerous, especially for children and teenagers.”
In 2023, tobacco taxation generated NIS 8 billion for the state, with over NIS 6 billion from imported cigarettes.
The ministry is promoting measures to monitor and regulate the accessibility of smoking and nicotine products for the entire population, especially teenagers, Health Minister Uriel Busso says.
“A challenging road still lies ahead as we face sophisticated players, tobacco companies, new smoking products, and importers who are looking for every possible way to introduce their products to the market,” he says.
Busso calls on all citizens who are smoking to quit, and invites them to seek free professional help through the ministry’s hotline and healthcare organizations.