About 70,000 youths, constituting 10 percent of Israelis aged 12 to 17, use drugs, the Israel Anti-Drug Authority revealed.
According to the data, 200,000 Israeli teenagers are part of risk groups for drug abuse. Haim Messing, the Authority's chairman, stated that this finding pointed to the fact that the reinforcement and deterrence activities were not strong enough and had to be boosted.
All establishments must lead a joint policy with one message prohibiting drug abuse and prevent legitimacy and double and confusing messages, Messing added. According to him, the fact that the sale of bongs is not prohibited is interpreted as permission to use common drugs like marijuana.
Messing added that the Anti-Drug Authority would continue to lead a campaign for urine tests in schools. He noted that a survey conducted recently for the Authority revealed that 81 percent of the public supports the tests.
According to Messing, the public is clearly against drug abuse. Ninety-one percent of the public, according to the survey, supports the confiscation of vehicles for three months for a person caught driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
The Authority's data also revealed that 31 percent of university students use drugs.
It was also revealed that 70 percent of violent acts committed by teenagers, including burglaries, are carried out under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
According to the Authority, an Israeli teenager who uses drugs is usually male, a new immigrant, lives in a big city, also drinks alcoholic beverages and suffers from anxiety and depression. In addition, his parents do not live together and the parent he lives with is unemployed.
In terms of religion, secular youth will usually use cannabis, while religious teenagers will mostly resort to hard drugs.
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