A recently conducted survey by the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the chareidi Institute for Policy Research, has uncovered concerning data regarding the prevalence of smoking in the chareidi community.
The survey revealed that smoking rates among chareidi adolescents are alarmingly higher than those of the broader population. Specifically, the study, which is the first of its kind in the chareidi community, showed that 54% of chareidi high school students and 80% of high school dropouts have experimented with smoking. In contrast, only 13%-23% of youth in the general population’s educational institutions have tried smoking.
The situation is even more dire among yeshiva students. The research found that 77% of chareidi young men aged 17-24 who are enrolled in yeshivas have smoked at least once, with 56% admitting to smoking regularly. By comparison, just 22.4% of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) recruits reported being active smokers.
Dr. Sharon Elroi Preiss, the director of public health services at the Ministry of Health, remarked: “The experience with smoking among youth in the chareidi society is four times higher than in the general Jewish sector. These are very alarming findings, a wake-up call for all of us.”
Further comments from Dr. Sharon emphasized the need for collective action: “To make a change, joint efforts from all of us will be required – the Ministries of Health and Education, the chareidi society, local authorities, and more.”
Additionally, the survey highlighted that 57% of chareidi youth aged 12-18 are regularly exposed to smoking, either through direct contact or seeing it in their environment on a daily basis. Despite this, the study revealed that 50% of smokers in chareidi high schools and 31% of high school dropouts expressed an interest in quitting smoking.
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