Drug and alcohol use in Israel increased by nearly 25% after Hamas attack, study finds

What impact did the Hamas attack have on Israelis? A study of a thousand people representative of the Israeli population reveals “a link between indirect exposure to the events of October 7 and the increase in the consumption of addictive substances”by almost 25%.

After October 7 and the war that followed, one in four Israelis increased their use of addictive substances. More specifically, 50% of survivors of the attack and 33% of displaced persons increased their use of such substances, according to this study by the Israeli Center for Addiction and Mental Health, conducted in November and December, relayed by AFP on Sunday, August 11.

“As a natural response to emotional stress and in the search for relief, there has been a dramatic increase in the use of various addictive sedative substances, whether prescription medications, illegal drugs, alcohol or sometimes addictive behaviors such as gambling.”observes psychiatrist Shaul Lev-Ran, founder of the Israel Center for Addiction and Mental Health.

The use of sleeping pills and painkillers has exploded, by 180% and 70% respectively. As for the Palestinian population, there is no data on mental health and drug addiction, due to lack of resources, according to the Palestinian Authority.