Israel Faces Alarming Smoking Surge as Teen E-Cigarette Use Skyrockets

Israel is battling a persistent smoking epidemic, with a new Ministry of Health report highlighting a troubling shift toward flavoured e-cigarettes among teens, driven by social media and cultural influences. As of June 2025, 20.2% of Israelis smoke, a rate 30% above the global average, while the nation’s smoking cessation rate lags 50% below the OECD average, underscoring a struggle to quit compared to global trends.

“The picture of the situation we present today reflects a worrying reality: the smoking epidemic continues and constitutes one of the deadliest health risk factors in the State of Israel,” said Health Minister MK Uriel Bosso. “It is responsible for enormous morbidity and preventable death especially among young people.” Disparities are stark: 40.3% of Arab men smoke, with second-hand smoke exposure in Arab communities nearly double that in Jewish ones. A groundbreaking survey revealed smoking’s penetration into the ultra-Orthodox sector, where 54% of yeshiva high school students have tried smoking, soaring to 80% among at-risk Haredi dropouts.

Youth are increasingly drawn to e-cigarettes, with 52% of teens who smoke starting with these devices, lured by flavoured varieties; 88% of teen hookah users, 82% of e-cigarette users, and 45% of cigarette smokers prefer them. “Unfortunately, the use of electronic cigarettes, especially among young people, is gaining momentum, which is also affecting the extent of smoking regular cigarettes,” said Health Ministry Director General Moshe Bar Siman Tov. A related study linked a 33% rise in smoking to war-related stress, with 5% of smokers consuming more since the conflict began.

The government has mandated graphic warnings on all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, and plans to ban flavoured vapes and disposables. A free national cessation centre is operational, but enforcement is weak, 65% of municipalities failed to report compliance data, and many lack robust anti-smoking measures. “This is a national public health responsibility,” Bosso stressed. “We are working with all the tools at our disposal to eradicate this epidemic.” Israel’s 8,300 annual smoking-related deaths, costing the economy $3.5 billion yearly, underscore the urgency of these efforts.