The Vape Epidemic Reaches the Beit Midrash

A new large-scale study is raising serious concerns about the health risks of electronic cigarettes, as vaping continues to spread among young people, including in the Charedi community and among yeshiva students.

For years, e-cigarettes were marketed as a cleaner and safer alternative to traditional smoking. But a recent meta-analysis published in npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine challenges that perception. The study examined data from more than 4.3 million participants across 17 separate studies and found a significant link between e-cigarette use and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, known as COPD.

COPD is a serious and incurable lung disease that causes long-term inflammation and limits airflow. According to the findings, current e-cigarette users had a 47.3% higher risk of developing the disease compared to people who had never used e-cigarettes. Former users showed an even higher increased risk, at 76.6%, suggesting that some respiratory damage may continue even after use has stopped.

Health experts stress that the vapor inhaled from e-cigarettes is not simply harmless water vapor. The aerosol can contain ultrafine particles, volatile organic compounds, and carcinogenic substances that enter deep into the lungs and may cause lasting harm.

The issue is particularly concerning in the Charedi public, where smoking rates are already significantly higher than the national average. While cigarette smoking has become less acceptable in many yeshivas and batei midrash, vaping has become more common, in part because it produces less odor and is easier to conceal.

Advocates warn that this has allowed e-cigarettes to gain a foothold among young men who may not see vaping as equivalent to smoking. The flavored products, compact devices, and perception of reduced harm have all contributed to the spread of the trend.

The broader public health picture remains severe. According to Health Ministry data cited in the report, smoking-related harm is linked to an average of 33 deaths per day in Israel. In 2022, smoking was associated with more than 12,000 deaths nationwide.

Government officials are now examining new steps to regulate the e-cigarette market, including changes to taxation, licensing, enforcement, and restrictions on illegal products. But health advocates argue that regulation alone will not be enough.

They say parents, educators, rabbanim, and yeshiva leadership will need to treat vaping as a serious health and addiction issue, not as a minor or cleaner version of smoking.