Sales of sedatives in "Israel" have surged since last October, according to research by Kahn-Sagol-Maccabi (KSM). The study revealed an unprecedented 204 percent increase in sedative sales since 7 October 2023, compared to a 27 percent rise during the 2006 July War.

While the 2006 increase was primarily seen in the north of occupied Palestine, the recent surge has been observed across the entire Israeli entity.

The retrospective study, approved by the Helsinki Committee, analyzed anonymous data from over one million Maccabi members aged 21 and older.

It explored the impact of environmental factors on personal stress, examining the use of anti-anxiety medications over the past 19 years, including the period after 7 October.

Findings show that the likelihood of purchasing short-term sedatives rises by 14 percent during security operations compared to normal times. During the Second Lebanon War, sedative purchases in the North were 39 percent higher than in central areas, while recent military activity in the South has driven an 18 percent increase in anti-anxiety medication sales compared to central regions.

‘Spectacular’ rise in addiction among Israelis during Gaza war: Study

A recent study revealed a “spectacular” rise in drug addiction in occupied Palestine since the onset of the war on Gaza last October.

Conducted by the Israel Center on Addiction in November and December with a representative sample of 1,000 Israeli settlers, the study found that one in four Israelis has increased their use of addictive substances since the war began on October 7.

According to a study in 2022, before the Israeli war on Gaza started, one in seven Israelis struggled with drug addiction, also noting a correlation between indirect exposure to the events of October 7 and a roughly 25% increase in addictive substance consumption. “The closer individuals were to the trauma on October 7, the higher the risk” of addictive behaviors, it found.

The Israel Center on Addiction study found increased addictive substance consumption among those who were present during the outbreak of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, as well as among Israelis who left settlements near the Gaza border or in the North near Lebanon.

Read next: Israelis' mental health worse than ever since October 7: Gallup poll