A new report appearing in the Israeli Medical Association's
journal, Refu'ah, states that during the past twenty
years there has been a significant decline in the number of
smokers in Israel. As a result, there has been a distinct
drop in the number of lung cancer victims.
Smoking is the main cause of lung cancer. 90% of the victims
of this type of cancer have contracted it due to smoking.
Researchers from the National Center for Disease Control of
the Health Ministry along with the Epidemiological and
Preventive Medicine Departments of Tel Aviv University
compared information on smoking exposure and information on
lung cancer mortality among the Israeli populace.
The rate of smokers was found to be in a state of constant
decline during the past two decades. However, the decline
more significant among adults than among young people.
60% of the deaths in Israel are caused by heart ailments and
cancer, diseases whose main behavioral risk factor is
smoking. According to worldwide research, the risk of
contracting lung cancer among smokers, in comparison with non-
smokers is 9-15% higher. The risk increases according to the
number of years one smoked as well as the amount of
cigarettes smoked.
Public awareness of the hazards of smoking has greatly
increased since 1980, while the percentage of smokers has
dropped significantly, from 42% of the country's populace in
1979, to 28% in 1996 -- a drop of 33%. The decline in the
percentage of smokers was mainly among adults, and much
smaller among the younger generation.
According to medical literature, the added risk of
contracting lung cancer decreases five years after one stops
smoking. The risk continues to drop even twenty years after
one has stopped smoking. Consequently, the decrease in the
percentages of smoking during recent decades was expected to
have shown its marks by now. However, since in the younger
age bracket there was no significant drop in the rate of
smokers, there has been no decline in the mortality of older
age groups. They say that the expected drop has yet to become
apparent in the mortality statistics.
The study also shows that the mortality rates from lung
cancer in Israel are relatively lower than those of other
countries in the Western world, given the smoking rates here.
The reason for this is not yet known. Researchers conjecture
that this is caused by the relatively low levels of other
environmental factors linked to lung cancer, such as alcohol
consumption, depression, different nutrition, as well as
genetic differences.
According to the findings of a recent study conducted at
Sha'arei Tzedek, more Jewish adolescents than their Arab
counterparts smoke due to social pressure. Most of the Jewish
youngsters received their first cigarette from a friend, and
the most widespread reason they offered for their habit was
their need for social acceptance.
Professor Eitan Kerem, Director of the Children's Lung Unit
in Sha'arei Tzedek who headed the research team, noted that
the results of the study indicate that smoking prevention
programs in the Jewish sector of the country should
concentrate on coping with social pressures, and place less
emphasis on the hazards of smoking.
