One in four Israelis now engages in harmful substance use as the psychological fallout from Israel’s genocide in Gaza and its expanding wars across the Middle East reshapes daily life, according to research cited by Haaretz.
The Israeli Centre for Addiction and Mental Health said substance misuse had risen sharply since October 2023, when Israel launched its war on Gaza following the Hamas-led attacks.
Before the coronavirus pandemic, the rate stood at one in 10 Israelis. It climbed to one in seven during the pandemic before reaching about 25 percent after October 2023.
The centre found that sedative use had increased by 2.5 times, while the consumption of opiates ahttps://www.middleeasteye.net/news/one-four-israelis-using-drugs-amid-gaza-genocide-and-regional-warsnd stimulants had almost doubled. Alcohol and cannabis use had also risen.
Among people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, the rate of substance misuse now stands at 54.2 percent.
Prof Shauli Lev-Ran, the centre’s founder, told Haaretz that repeated crises had entrenched habits formed during periods of extreme pressure.
“The more stress there is, the more people use,” he said, warning that consumption often continues even after immediate stress levels fall.