ISRAEL
Contrary to what has been happening in other parts of the world, Israel’s Health Ministry recorded the biggest single-year rise in smoking in more than a decade, with the rate rising to 22.5% in 2016 from 19.7% the previous year.
Yaakov Litzman, the country’s health minister, has recently come under fire for hindering efforts to curb cigarette advertisements and for opposing regulations that would require manufacturers to put warning images on cigarette packages, saying, “it’s not aesthetic.”
Critics say that one of the most impactful policy changes would be to close a loophole in the taxation of cigarettes, which allows for loose tobacco to be taxed at a lower rate than pre-rolled cigarettes.