Nineteen-year-old Yoni, an Israeli man, has had to set aside his plans to join the military and instead enter rehab for worsening drug abuse, which has escalated since the Hamas attack on October 7.
Health professionals indicate that Yoni’s situation is not unique, as Israel experiences a surge in drug and alcohol abuse, along with other addictive behaviors, amid the ongoing conflict.
Yoni, who requested anonymity, shared with AFP that his drug use began recreationally but significantly worsened after the outbreak of war. “It’s just a way to escape from reality, this whole thing,” said the Beersheba resident, who lost a friend, Nir Beizer, in the Hamas attack that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.
Psychiatrist Shaul Lev-Ran, founder of the Israel Center on Addiction, noted a significant increase in the consumption of various sedative substances as a response to emotional stress. A study by Lev-Ran’s team, based in Netanya, revealed a 25 percent increase in the use of addictive substances, correlating with indirect exposure to the October 7 events.
The study, conducted in November and December with a representative sample of 1,000 Israelis, found that one in four Israelis have increased their use of substances such as prescription drugs, illegal drugs, alcohol, or have engaged in addictive behaviors like gambling. This is a significant rise from 2022, when one in seven struggled with drug addiction.
The Palestinian Authority, when contacted by AFP, stated that no equivalent data on addiction and mental health is available for the Palestinian territories.
