Drug Problems

RICHARD E. ISRALOWITZ is Professor and Director, Israel Regional Alcohol and Drug Abuse Resources Center, Ben Gurion University.MOHAMED AFIFI, M.D., is Director of the Palestine Substance Abuse and Addiction Research Center and the Gaza Regional Alcohol and Drug Abuse Resources Center. He is founder of the Child Health and Community Research Association, and has served as Director of Health Promotion and Education for the Palestine Ministry of Health since 1990.RICHARD RAWSON is Adjunct Associate Profesor and the Associate Director of the UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Substance abuse and its social consequences are a major public concern for communities throughout the world. The motivations and consequences are deeply imbedded within the social and political structures of all countries, whether they be well-established democracies or developing nations.Every culture shapes the meaning of and responses to substances such as marijuana and heroin over time and across locations, but the broader drug issue has become universal. As the sphere of the problem expands, the experiences and solutions of each nation become more relevant to other countries. International concern over substance abuse has intensified as a result of the rise in production, use, and trafficking of illicit drugs all over the world. Therefore, the practical knowledge of policy development and abuse prevention and treatment strategies in the Middle East have increasing relevance for the rest of the world.

Introduction by Richard E. Isralowitz and Richard A. RawsonThe Social Context of Reality: Perspectives of Drug Use and Abuse Among Palestinian and Israeli PeopleThe Social Context and Reality of Substance Use in the Middle East by Richard E. IsralowitzDrugs and Peace: New Meanings, Old Metaphors-- The Palestinian-Israeli People Against Substance Abuse (PIPASA) Experience by Gary SussmanPeople in TransitionDrug Abuse: Problems, Policies, and Programs in Palestine by Mohamed Afifi and Mahmoud Al-ZuheiryThe West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip by Violet Fasheh, Mohamed Afifi, and Salah El-SousiPsychoactive Substance Use by Jews and Arabs in Israel by Giora Rahav and Meir TeichmanAlcohol Use Among Moslems and Druze in Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority: Theoretical Aspects and Trends by Shoshana Weiss, et al.Russian-Speaking Immigrants: Facts Associated with Heroin Use by Richard E. Isralowitz and Sofia BorkinSocial Change and Substance Use Among Bedouin Arabs in Southern Israel by Ismael AbuSaadToward an Understanding of Drug Prevalence Estimation and Evaluation for Palestinian and Israeli PopulationsRapid Assessment and Response (RAR) to HIV and Psychoactive Substance Use: Relevance for the Eastern Mediterranean Region by Gundo Weiler, et al.Middle East Drug Use Watch (MEDUW): A Trilateral System to Measure the Type and Extent of Psychoactive Substance Use in Palestinian and Israeli Communities by Richard A. Rawson, Albert Hasson, and Richard E. IsralowitzIs There a Need for an International Screening Test? The Middle East as a Case in Point by Thomas F. BaborPerspectives of Drug Services: Needs and Intervention StrategiesPatterns, Policies, and Treatment Strategies of Substance Abuse in Israel: Past and Present by David Elisha, Jorge Gleser, and Michael ReiterOutpatient Substance Abuse Treatment Using Scientifically Supported Treatment Manuals: A Strategy for Addressing Addiction Among Palestinian and Israeli People by Jeanne Obert, et al.Alcohol and Drug Abuse from an Islamic Perspective: Implications for Intervention by Alean Al-Krenawi, John R. Graham, and Mahmud A. SehwailThe Right Stuff: Key Personality Characteristics that Indicate Success in Overcoming Addiction in Israel by Rachel Lev-WieselThe Evaluation of Treatment for Substance Use Disorders: Relevance to the Middle East by Maristela G. MonteiroAppendix 1: Department for the Treatment of Substance Abuse: A Review of Responsibilities and Services by Jorge Gleser, et al.Appendix 2: National Service for Drug Abuse Intervention, Division of Correctional Services, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, State of Israel by Ariela SegevAppendix 3: Anti-Drug Authority, State of Israel by Shlomo GalIndex