In Israel, smoking remains much higher than the world average

The Israeli Health Ministry's 2024 report on smoking reveals that the smoking rate in Israel is significantly higher than the global average, especially among young people.[1]Approximately one in five adults (20.5%) smokes, a figure that has remained stable for a decade. This rate is 30% higher than the global average, while the smoking cessation rate in Israel is half the OECD average. Smoking remains particularly high among Arab men (40.3%). Furthermore, approximately a quarter of non-smokers report being exposed to secondhand smoke, an exposure almost twice as common among the Arab population as among the Jewish population.

Smoking and vaping, particularly among young people, is worrying health authorities

The report highlights the continued prevalence of tobacco use and a worrying increase in the use of e-cigarettes among young people. This report is based on a national survey which indicates that 53% of adolescents who experiment with tobacco start with e-cigarettes. Furthermore, flavored products are widely used by adolescents: 88% use shisha and 82% use flavored e-cigarettes, while 45% use conventional cigarettes or rolling tobacco.

" Unfortunately, the use of e-cigarettes, especially among young people, is increasing, which also affects the extent of smoking. " said Health Ministry Director General Moshe Bar Siman Tov.

A new survey of the young ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) population also reveals high rates of experimentation: 54 % in ketana yeshivot, 70 % in gedola yeshivot and up to 80 % in alternative establishments for at-risk youth aged 12 to 17.

Meanwhile, a survey by the Israeli Cancer Association found that about a third of Israelis have recently started or resumed smoking, largely due to war-related stress and anxiety.[2]Approximately 5% of current smokers reported having increased their tobacco consumption since the start of the conflict.

Increased mobilization against smoking

Health Minister Uriel Buso said that " The tobacco epidemic remains one of the leading health risks in Israel. We are actively working to reduce exposure, addiction, and accessibility to tobacco products, particularly among young people. This is a national public health priority. »

In accordance with the law, this report was submitted to the Knesset to assess the health damage caused by tobacco. It aims to raise public awareness and support the fight against tobacco use through a series of initiatives led by the Ministry of Health, in partnership with the army (IDF), schools, health funds, local authorities, and civil society.

Among the major actions are the promotion of smoke-free environments, the creation of a national, free smoking cessation hotline, targeted monitoring and personalized interventions for certain population groups, and finally the launch of information and education campaigns and the development of school programs.

However, while 82 local and regional authorities reported activities under the Tobacco Prevention Act, the ministry noted that more than 65 municipalities failed to provide the required data, and many of those that did provide data failed to effectively enforce the law.

In 2024, new regulations were adopted, requiring graphic warnings on cigarette packets (plain packaging was introduced on January 8, 2020).[3]), including for vaping product packaging. Additional measures are planned, such as the upcoming ban on disposable e-cigarettes and flavored vaping and nicotine products.

Although Israeli law has banned the sale of tobacco to minors since 2004 and e-cigarettes since 2019, many young people still have access to them, often by purchasing them from kiosks, grocery stores, or through their peers. The Health Ministry, which had already launched an action plan in 2023 to address the tobacco and vaping epidemic, particularly among young people, is thus called upon to intensify its efforts.

©Generation Without Tobacco

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[1]Dov Yehuda, 1 In 5 Israeli Adults Smokes, 30% Above Global Average, VINnews, published June 3, 2025, accessed June 4, 2025

[2]Benson Pesach, Israel's smoking rate 30% above global average, government report finds, World Israel News, published June 3, 2025, accessed June 4, 2025

[3]Tobacco-free generation, Laos adopts plain packaging for cigarettes, published October 9, 2024, accessed June 4, 2025

National Committee Against Smoking |