A recent study revealed a “spectacular” rise in drug addiction in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories 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.

“As a natural reaction to emotional stress and as a search for relief, we’ve seen a spectacular rise in the consumption of various addictive sedative substances,” Psychiatrist Shaul Lev-Ran, founder of the Israel Center on Addiction, was quoted as saying by AFP.

Lev-Ran reported an increase in the use of “prescription drugs, illegal drugs, alcohol, or addictive behaviors such as gambling.”

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.

Israeli settlers postpone 'military plans', enter rehab

Yoni, a 19-year-old Israeli settler, has had to postpone his military plans to enter rehab for drug abuse that worsened after the Operation, during which he lost a friend. He told AFP that although he had used drugs recreationally before, the situation "really got worse" after the conflict. He described his drug use as a way to "escape from reality" amid the ongoing turmoil.

According to Lev-Ran, “Some who had never consumed addictive substances started using cannabis, some increased their use of substances, and some who were already in treatment for addiction experienced relapses.”

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

Lev-Ran also warned that "Israel" is at "the outset of an epidemic in which large swathes of the population will develop an addiction to substances." The study found that the use of sleeping pills and painkillers has surged by 180 percent and 70 percent, respectively.

Late last year, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported on December 25 that the rehabilitation department of the Israeli occupation army will activate a program to assist soldiers suffering from "psychological disorders" due to the war on Gaza.

Quoting department officials, the report said that teams of nurses and psychiatrists who are capable of dealing with "suicidal tendencies" will be formed to conduct assessments for soldiers experiencing psychological disorders.

According to the media outlet, the war on Gaza is leading to "an unbearable and costly toll on lives, physical injuries, and psychological disorders, especially among disabled soldiers."