(haipo) – The smoking epidemic: Israel is facing a worrying reality: Smoking rates have not decreased for a decade, and new nicotine products are drawing children and teenagers into the cycle of addiction earlier than ever before. The Health Minister's 2025 report, submitted to the Knesset in accordance with the Mandatory Reporting on the Harms of Smoking Law, presents a broad and at times disturbing picture of the extent of smoking in Israel, new trends, and the state's efforts to curb the phenomenon.
Smoking in Israel: Adult data almost unchanged
- 23.1% of the adult population in Israel smoke regularly, a figure similar to previous years.
- The gaps between sectors are striking:
- 46.2% of Arab men Smokers – an extremely high rate.
- In ultra-Orthodox society, the smoking rate is relatively low – 10.6 %.
- Exposure to forced smoking:
- 28.9% of the Jewish population,
- 48.5% of the Arab population.
The report also presents new data from health insurance funds and quality indicators in community medicine, including an increase in reports related to the use of e-cigarettes.
Sharp upward trend among teenagers – A worrying picture for 2025
Smoking among Israeli teenagers continues to be one of the most prominent dangerous behaviors, and the interim report of the HBSC study for 2025 reveals a disturbing trend: more boys and girls are experimenting with smoking: regular cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and hookahs, and some indicators even show an increase compared to previous years.
Data from the 2025 HBSC international study indicates a dramatic change in youth smoking habits:
- 20% have tried e-cigarettes,
- 19% in smoking regular cigarettes,
- 16% in hookah.
The increase is especially noticeable in grades 8 and 10. The report reveals another disturbing statistic: The age of initiation of smoking drops to fifth and sixth grades., and in Arab society 25% of children tried a smoking product before the age of 10.
The main reason, according to the Ministry of Health: Aggressive marketing by the tobacco industry aimed at children and teenagers, using supposedly "friendly" products like nicotine pouches and flavored e-cigarettes.
Smoking Experience: Sharp Increase from Middle School to High School
According to the data, About 19% of students in Israel have ever tried smoking regular cigarettes.The trend is clear: As age increases, the rate of experimentation jumps. In seventh grade, it is about 8%, but in grades 11-12, the figure reaches about 30%.
Compared to 2019, there was a clear increase in smoking experience among eighth and tenth grade students, of both genders and in both sectors.
Smoking in the past month: One in six students
About 17% of teenagers reported that they had smoked at least once in the past 30 days, a figure that indicates a transition from experimenting to actually smoking. 22% of boys Smoked in the last month, compared to 12% of girlsThe smoking rate increases steadily with age: from about 9.5% in seventh grade to about 26% in eleventh and twelfth grade.
Regular smoking: Increase in weekly and daily smoking
About 13% of students smoke at least once a week. Boys smoke almost twice as often as girls — 18% compared to 7%. And about 8% of Israeli youth smoke daily, a figure especially high among students in grades 11 and 12.
Electronic cigarettes: the new temptation for youth
The data on e-smoking is equally disturbing:
- 20% of students have tried an e-cigarette at least once.
- Among boys, the figure is particularly high — 25 %, and in the Arab sector it even reaches 31%.
- Among 11th and 12th grade students, the figures are soaring: 38% in the Jewish sector and 45% in the Arab sector Experiment with e-smoking.
Compared to 2023, there is a noticeable increase in 10th graders, and in some sectors also in 8th graders.
what is the meaning?
The data indicate a clear trend: Smoking, both regular and electronic, is becoming more common among Israeli youth, especially among boys and high school students. The disparities between sectors and genders indicate the need for culturally and socially adapted interventions.
The study emphasizes that smoking at a young age is associated with a number of risks:
- Immediate and long-term health damage
- Higher chance of addiction in adulthood
- Link to other risk behaviors
- Impact on academic, emotional, and social functioning
IDF: Slight increase in smoking among recruits
22.5% of new recruits reported smoking at the time of enlistment, a slight increase compared to 2024. The IDF is expanding rehab services, including training for medical staff and making drug treatment available.
New legislation: Israel among the most advanced countries in the world
In 2025, the legislative process for the new health warning regulations was completed:
- Starting August 2026 Every smoking product – including electronic cigarettes and smoking accessories, will carry a graphic warning in the picture..
- Israel will be The first country in the world Which also requires picture warnings on smoking accessories.
The regulations place Israel at the forefront of the global fight against smoking.
Enforcement: More reports – but most authorities don’t report
93 authorities submitted enforcement reports, an increase from the previous year. In 2025, 11,692 reports of smoking in public spaces, but over two-thirds of the authorities still do not report at all.
The main message of the Ministry of Health
The 2025 report presents a worrying picture and emphasizes that Israel is in the midst of a complex struggle: smoking is not just a health problem, it is a social, economic and cultural phenomenon, amplified by ongoing emergencies, aggressive marketing by the tobacco industry and a decline in the age of consent.
The national effort includes regulation, enforcement, outreach, education, and detoxification, but the challenge is great, especially facing a younger generation that is exposed to nicotine products earlier than ever before.
The data requires systemic action: education, prevention, treatment, and increased awareness among parents, schools, and communities.
And the stunning response I received at a train station when I commented: "What? Do you think there's fire here? It's electronic"... both a smoker and an idiot.