Real Lives
Import curbs force Gaza smokers into costly nicotine withdrawal
Image credit: We Are Not Numbers
TOP News Brief
Tobacco import restrictions are pushing smokers in Gaza to endure nicotine withdrawal or pay inflated prices for scarce cigarettes, We Are Not Numbers reported. The curbs have created severe shortages, leaving residents unable to access affordable smoking products and forcing difficult choices between basic needs and addiction management.
Smokers across the territory face dwindling supplies and black-market pricing as legal imports dry up. Some have reduced consumption or quit entirely, while others resort to purchasing at markups far above pre-restriction levels. The shortage compounds existing economic hardship in Gaza, where household purchasing power has already eroded under prolonged blockade conditions and limits residents' ability to absorb price spikes on any commodity.
