The Minister of Health, Nitzan Horowitz, today (Monday) presented an up-to-date annual report on the smoking epidemic in Israel, which shows that in 2020 there was no decrease in smoking rates in the country: according to the data, about a quarter (20.1%) of adults over 21 reported smoking. .
According to the report, there is a higher rate of smokers among men (25.6%) compared to women (14.8%), and among Arabs (24.4%) compared to Jews (19.1%). However, the comparison between Jews and Arabs does not fully reflect the situation. Due to higher smoking rates among Arab men (38.2%) compared to Jewish men (22.6%), along with lower smoking rates of Arab women (10.2%) compared to Jewish women (15.8%).
It was further found that in the general population, lower smoking rates were observed among respondents with higher education (17.4%), compared with those with medium and low education.
A similar trend was observed in the whole population group.
The smoking rates in the report are based on the findings of the "National Health Survey in Israel - 4" (INHIS-4) conducted by the National Center for Disease Control (MALBAM) in the Ministry of Health, in the period between December 2018 and March 2020. The report presents data on epidemics Smoking in the general population, cigarette and hookah smoking among youth and smoking among IDF soldiers, while a comprehensive review of the prevention activities and the many efforts invested in them which are shared by the Ministries of Health, Education and Finance, IDF, HMOs and other bodies.
The report also presents an overview of the legislative and enforcement activities in the field of smoking, smoking cessation in Israel and various economic data in relation to smoking, including state revenues from taxes on tobacco, the volume of national cigarette consumption and the volume of investment in the cigarette industry to promote and encourage smoking among young people.
"Smoking increases the risk of a variety of serious diseases and also death. The fight against smoking and encouraging smoking cessation in public are one of our main tasks," said Minister Horowitz at the presentation of the report. "To continue implementing the national plan to reduce smoking and its harms, and to promote additional policy measures in accordance with the recommendations of the International Convention on Tobacco Control."
Prof. Ash, Photo: Yehuda Peretz
The Director General of the Ministry of Health, Prof. Nachman Ash, added: "The Ministry of Health continues the war on the smoking epidemic in Israel. The data for 2020 show that there is no decrease in the number of smokers. The global mortality estimate from smoking is about 8 million people a year. As of 2019, the Ministry of Health has been included in the European Cancer Association's country rankings thanks to the initiative of the smoking cessation initiative. The firm promotes taxation on vaporizing tobacco and nicotine products, in the same way as other tobacco cigarettes. Today these cigarettes are tax-exempt which makes them cheap and accessible - and therefore also attractive to teenagers, and these are dangerous to health and addictive.
"Accordingly, the ministry is determined to continue working to reduce the phenomenon of active smoking and forced smoking, in a large-scale activity within the framework of the national program to reduce smoking and its harms. , The restriction on nicotine concentration, the extension of restrictions on smoking in public places and full implementation of the Advertising Prohibition Law and the restriction of the marketing of tobacco and smoking products, all along with the establishment of the smoking cessation call center in early 2020, ".
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