The tendency to use drugs among Israel’s citizens has risen sharply because of the country’s ongoing war in Gaza and the conflict spreading across the Middle East. At present, one in every four Israelis is using harmful drugs and intoxicants. The information came from a research report published by the Israeli outlet Haaretz.
According to the Israel Center for Addiction and Mental Health, drug abuse in the country has risen dramatically since the Gaza war began in October 2023. Before the coronavirus pandemic, one in 10 people in Israel used drugs. During the pandemic it rose to one in seven, and after October 2023 the rate has now reached about 25 percent. The study found that the use of sleeping pills among Israelis has risen two and a half times, while the use of opioid and stimulant drugs has almost doubled. Alongside this, the use of alcohol and cannabis has also increased. Among those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the rate of drug abuse is now 54.2 percent.
The center’s founder, Professor Shauli Lev-Ran, said that habits formed during periods of extreme mental stress caused by repeated crises had become permanent among people. “The more stress rises, the more people use drugs. People continue this use even after the immediate stress has eased,” he warned.
Accounts from drug users indicate that they regularly use ketamine, cocaine, amphetamines, cannabis and doctor-prescribed sleeping pills to cope with rocket-attack sirens, funerals, military mobilization and daily news of death. One person said that the more Israel’s war grew, the more his drug use grew, and that he used these substances to keep himself mentally distant from bloodshed and death. Another said that after October 2023 people had taken amphetamine-type stimulants even while attending funerals. Many said they took ketamine before entering bomb shelters, while some used stimulant drugs to maintain productivity at work despite sleepless, anxious nights.
The spread of drugs is not confined to nightlife. Interviewees said drugs were now used openly at homes, workplaces, bars and public shelters. Encrypted messaging platforms and digital payment systems have made drugs easier to obtain. Dr Roy Zucker, a doctor involved in harm-reduction programs, said more than 80 percent of patients receiving drug-related emergency treatment had taken several types of drug together. Palestinian citizens living in Israel are also turning to drugs, it was reported, as they watch Israeli destruction in Gaza on one hand and face growing oppression in their own country on the other.
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