The bad news is that the number of Israelis who started to smoke – either on the battlefield of Gaza or civilians anxious about what’s going on in the country – has increased. The good news is that – the largest health fund that insures half of the population – reports on World No Smoking Day (May 31) a 27% increase in calls to the smoking cessation advice line in the last five months. More than one in five Israeli adults smoke, but many more non-smokers are exposed to no less toxic second and third-hand smoke from others or from objects – furniture, drapes, and the like – to which the toxins stick and that they touch.
Fully 70% to 80% of participants in Clalit’s detoxification services (group workshops or personal telephone counseling) kick the habit when their participation has ended, and their achievement is maintained even a year later by 45% of the participants. In international terms, this is an extremely high success rate, according to Prof. Diane Levin-Zamir, head of Clalit’s education and health promotion department.
“During the months of combat and emergency routine, we continued to offer smoking cessation services and support those who want to quit, especially during this period of emergency and distress, where there is sometimes a tendency to return to smoking or increase the amount of smoking. We also held hotel workshops from the south and north of the country, expanded the phone counseling line, and produced up-to-date data and informational.
