The Israel Medical Association petitioned the High Court of Justice against Minister of Health Yehoshua Matza and Israeli cigarette companies in an application to declare nicotine and tobacco as "dangerous drugs." The Association demands to have controls and restrictions imposed on the growth, production, sale, import and use of tobacco, nicotine and cigarettes in Israel.
According to the Association, in light of medical research conducted in Israel and throughout the world, there is no doubt that the use of nicotine and tobacco damages health. It also said that smoking causes a multitude of diseases including cancer, lung, heart and circulation diseases.
In Israel, according to Ministry of Health statistics, around 5,000 people die each year as a result of smoking. Smoking-related mortality is higher than that caused by road accidents, drug abuse, AIDS, war and terror activities collectively.
An examination carried out in the US shows that the cost of a smoking employee is $1,200 higher than his non-smoking counterpart, because of smoking-related sicknesses and absenteeism. Israeli smokers spend around NIS 1 million yearly on buying tobacco products.
Published by Israel's Business Arena June 3, 1998.