Smoking in Israel Reaches 20-Year High, Health Ministry Report Says

The Health Ministry’s 2025 National Smoking Report, published today, paints a troubling picture, showing that smoking in Israel has reached a nearly 20-year high, with 23.1% of the adult population using tobacco and cigarette products. The data reveal social gaps, with smoking among Arab men rising to 46.2%, a rate twice as high as the overall population. These habits have deadly consequences, as of 2022, 12,386 deaths in Israel could be attributed to smoking, including 894 people who died as a direct result of involuntary secondhand smoke exposure.

At the same time, the report found an alarming shift among teenagers, with a sharp rise in the use of electronic cigarettes and a decline in the age of nicotine exposure. For the first time, the share of students who tried e-cigarettes surpassed those who smoked regular cigarettes, with 20% of young people reporting experimenting with the electronic product and 17% saying they had smoked an e-cigarette at least once in the past month.

Director-General Moshe Bar Siman Tov criticized the Finance Committee over delays in legislation and tax measures initiated by the ministry, and said that starting in August 2026, the ministry will require graphic warning images on a range of smoking products in Israel. As for enforcement by local authorities, the report shows that despite an increase in the number of reporting municipalities, the total number of fines nationwide remained stable at 11,692. The data show that Jerusalem leads by a wide margin with 4,240 fines, followed by Haifa with about 2,500 and Tel Aviv-Yafo with 1,320.

By contrast, the report points to a complete lack of enforcement, with zero fines throughout the year in strong, large municipalities with well-developed inspection systems, including Ashdod, Herzliya, Ra'anana, Ramat HaSharon, Ness Ziona, Mevaseret Zion and Yoqneam Illit, while only 120 fines were issued in Rishon Lezion and 10 in Rehovot.