
After October 7: Israel’s Smoking Rates Rise, Worsening COPD Risks
COPD, a deadly and incurable lung disease, is rising in Israel, especially among youth. Experts link this increase to post-October 7 stress and the lack of enforcement of public smoking laws.
Professor Zvi Fridlender emphasized the danger of both direct and secondhand smoke. Tobacco smoking and second- and third-hand smoke exposure accounts for over 70% of COPD cases in high-income countries. Symptoms include coughing, breathing difficulty, and fatigue.
Patients are at higher risk of other health problems such as lung cancer, infections, heart issues, and depression. Many can't walk a hundred meters and require oxygen tanks.
Smoking rates have significantly declined in other countries but increased in Israel since the Iron Swords War began. Fridlender highlighted the behavioral addiction involved, particularly among youth.
E-cigarettes also pose severe health risks and are linked to lung cancer. Activists are calling for higher taxes on tobacco products and stricter enforcement of public smoking bans. (JP/VFI News)
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