Israel’s Ministry of Health published Monday, for public comments, an action plan for reducing the use of all tobacco and smoking products in Israel. This comes after in May of this year the Ministry established a national action team to deal with the harm caused by cigarettes and electronic cigarettes, which re-examined the policy on the subject and works to eradicate their use.
The team worked in four sub-teams – policy, enforcement, advocacy, training and influence, and included partners from many fields: government ministries, civil society, youth representation, parent representation, local government, various doctors including paediatricians and psychiatrists, academia and other professionals. The team’s action was performed at the same time as other actions carried out together with government ministries and social factors in order to raise awareness of the damages of these dangerous products. The team submitted its conclusions to the Director General of the Ministry of Health who approved the recommendations formulated and now the Ministry publishes this action plan for public comments.
The ministry said that reducing the phenomenon of smoking and its harm is one of the most important national tasks in the field of public health in Israel and that it is committed to the fight against smoking and its consequences.
Health Minister Moshe Arbel: “The phenomenon of smoking in the State of Israel has become a veritable epidemic. The proportion of smokers among the adult population currently stands at more than 20% and we are witnessing an increase in the exposure of young people to electronic cigarettes, all this, alongside the severe damage caused by passive smoking. This is a worrying phenomenon and the Ministry of Health, under my leadership, is determined to promote steps to reduce it and increase awareness of the harm caused as a result.”
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