Pubdate: Tue, 04 Sep 2001
Source: Jerusalem Post (Israel)
Copyright: 2001,sThe Jerusalem Post
Contact:  http://www.jpost.co.il/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/516
Author:  Marion Marrache

DRUGS AND TEENS - A HARSH COCKTAIL

(August 23) - While fewer Israeli teens use drugs than their US peers, the 
problem is on the rise.

An Ecstasy overdose almost killed his friend two years ago. So Uri, now 20, 
no longer pops those pills. Although he still smokes pot he stays away from 
what he considers to be "dangerous drugs."

Teens in Israel are more likely to first reach for alcohol, then cigarettes 
and then marijuana. Still, professionals are concerned by 1998 figures 
showing that 5.3% of students aged 12 to 18 and 13.6% of dropouts are 
lighting up, shooting up and popping illegal drugs.

These numbers are based on substance usage over the period of a year and do 
not differentiate between single moments of experimentation and chronic use.

Uri, who doesn't want his real name used, recalls that scary night in New 
York two years ago. He took one Ecstasy tablet. His friend swallowed three, 
not knowing such an amount was potentially lethal.

"I went in the ambulance with him, they told me he had been five minutes 
away from a cardiac arrest. It was scary as hell and I don't ever want to 
try that again."

Still, cases of teen deaths or near deaths from overdoses haven't pushed 
Israeli teens, away from drugs, particularly the softer ones. In fact the 
numbers are slowly growing. In 1989, for example, only 1.5% of teens in 
school used illegal drugs.

But while professionals are concerned about numbers in Israel, they note 
that they are low in comparison with America. When asked a similar question 
about annual usage in 1998, 21% of eighth graders, 35% of 10th graders and 
41% of 12th graders reported having used illegal substances, according to a 
study done by the National Institute of Health in the United States.

A closer look at these numbers showed that for harder drugs such as cocaine 
or heroin the numbers range from 2% to 12%. When it came to marijuana, 
however, the numbers ranged from 16.9% for eighth graders to 37.5% for 
seniors, based on that same 1998 study.

In Israel, however, marijuana use among school teens in 1998 was 5.1% and 
illegal substance use was 5.3% based on numbers provided by Israel's 
Anti-Drug Authority.

Rahel Bar Hamburger, chief scientist with the Anti-Drug Authority based in 
Jerusalem, says there is no good reason that explains this difference in 
the number of teen drug users.

It could be the result of living in a small new country, she said. On top 
of that, people here work hard to combat the problem with a coordinated 
effort between the ministries of health, welfare and education. There is 
also a lot of work by parents on the community level, Hamburger said.

But that doesn't mean they feel the problem has been licked. Even with this 
effort, "it's not enough. It's never enough. If we were to say we did 
enough we would find ourselves with a very huge problem."

According to Avi Bitton of the Jerusalem District Police, children who use 
drugs can be found in all sectors of society and among children of all

backgrounds.

"Today there is hardly a school that does not have drugs on the premises," 
says Bitton, and he includes religious schools in the equation.

According to the 1998 study, among teens in school who use illegal 
substances, 6% define themselves as religious, 9.6% said they are 
traditional and 10.5% are secular, Hamburger says.

Teens who drop out of school, live in neighborhoods with drugs, or lack 
proper adult supervision are more likely to abuse drugs, specialists say.

Hamburger notes that 13.6 % of school drop outs have used illegal drugs and

27.9% have tried marijuana.

She attributes some of the rise in drug use globally to an increase in 
leisure time That is backed up by the dramatic increase in drug and 
substance use among school dropouts.

"They don't go to school so they have more time on their hands," she says.

Among students, 24% of boys aged 12 to 18 have smoked compared to 19% among 
girls. In that same category, 67.6% of the boys have tried or drink alcohol 
compared with 48.5% of the girls. When it comes to illegal substances, 
13.5% of the boys compared to 6.7% of the girls have experimented with 
drugs, Hamburger says.

Bitton says the media is partly to blame because it exercises a very 
negative influence on the youth. Movies, TV, videos and even music today 
romanticize the drug culture.

Peer pressure also plays a role, he adds.

Still, the image of teens who take drugs is more negative in Israel than it 
is in America, says Hamburger.

"When children are asked why they take drugs," says Hamburger, "they will 
say 'out of curiosity,' or because of peer pressure, or simply because they 
enjoy it.

"And yet when those who don't take drugs are asked why their peers do, they 
will say 'because they have problems.'" They don't admire the teens who do 
take drugs, she adds.

A survey done by the Anti Drug Authority last month showed that out of 
1,000 adults and 1,000 teens, 95% of adults and 94% of teens did not think

taking drugs was a good thing.

Six percent of adults and 10% of teens said they would try marijuana or 
hashish if it were offered.

One of the spots in the country where a high number of drug users can be 
found is Kikar Zion in Jerusalem

More than a year after the tragic death from an apparent drug overdose in 
May 2000 of a Har Nof teen who used to frequent Kikar Zion, 70% of the 
youth who hang out in the center of downtown Jerusalem continue to take 
drugs, says Ravital Eilati Weissman.

She works for Hativa Lekidum No'ar Betze'irim Be'iriat Yerushalayim - 
inaugurated in the 70s - which assists both drug users and drug addicts. 
Weissman attributes this high figure to "the culture of the place. It is an 
area of discos, clubs and homeless people," she says.

Kikar Zion is an area that many young people are drawn to, feeling the need 
to have a sense of freedom, a sense of self away from the rules of their 
parents' world and of "society" in general.

Since Kikar Zion is the main meeting place for young people, professional 
drug dealers know where to look for their clients.

"The sellers use the opportunities afforded to them by this large gathering 
of youngsters," says Bitton. One teen says "the dealers come to town and 
they find you."

He says drug use is more prevalent among the American haredi youth in Kikar 
Zion than among the Israeli teens.

This could be due to the fact that most haredim around there at night are 
in Israel on one-year programs and could have come over already using 
drugs, says Bitton

The drug of choice is marijuana, because many teens, like Uri, think it's a 
safe option particularly since it's not addictive.

For professionals pot use is a warning sign; a sign that the user is more 
likely to move onto harder drugs.

There is much controversy over the place of marijuana in society. Holland, 
for example, has legalized its use as a recreational drug. In Spain and 
other countries, marijuana has been decriminalized for private use. In 
Israel, as in the United States, possession of marijuana still carries a 
criminal charge.

Still it's popular because users, including teens, consider it safer than 
harder drugs, in part because it is not supposed to be addictive.

It can take five to 10 years of smoking the drug before it becomes 
addictive, Hamburger says.

But despite it's reputation as a safe drug, it can impact short and long 
term memory, Hamburger says.

Additionally, Hamburger says "whatever you smoke, you are exposing your 
lungs to cancerous material. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in marijuana is 
absorbed into the fatty tissues in the lungs and brain, and may be a

center for different effects which can be cancerous."

But more important is the pattern of drug use that is established.

"Drug use can be like a snowball," says Bitton. "Children can start out smoking

marijuana and end up shooting heroin."

Hamburger agrees that there has long been a theory that teens "graduate" 
from cigarettes to alcohol to marijuana and then to other drugs but, she 
says "today some children will start right away by taking an Ecstasy pill."

Hela Yaniv, of the Jerusalem Anti-Drug Association says all heroin users 
began with marijuana, but not all marijuana smokers go on to use heroin.

Hamburger says that most teenagers who experiment with drugs will quit 
sooner or later. Among 30-year-olds, the incidence of use is much lower 
than among 20- to 25-year-olds, and that is lower than among 12- to 
18-year-olds.

Yaniv agrees with this but adds that some will develop a more serious drug 
problem. These are considered "high risk kids" those who are trying to find 
answers to all their problems in the use of drugs. Those who stop using or 
who decrease the use considerably are those who begin to find "more meaning 
to life."

SAMUEL, 15, of Jerusalem, who also

didn't want to use his real name, smoked his first marijuana joint a week 
before his bar mitzva. Older friends 16 and 17 gave him a hand-rolled 
cigarette filled with a mixture of marijuana and tobacco.

He felt good the first time he smoked, even though it gave him a headache. 
So he smoked again and again. By 14 he was a habitual marijuana user. It 
remains his drug of choice even though he has tried Ecstasy and mushrooms 
once each.

He says that "if you control the Ecstasy you cannot get sick from it. You 
can check it with a tester to see if it is good. The tester is a paper that 
you pass over the pill and if it goes purple then it is good. It is like 
what they use in pregnancy tests."

Although originally it was only marijuana that was viewed as a "soft drug" 
by users, now Ecstasy is beginning to take on the same image for its clientele.

Unfortunately, research shows that Ecstasy is a potentially fatal drug. 
Yaniv calls Ecstasy "a hard drug," and says that those who experiment with 
it are aware of this but are "ready to take risks."

According to Yifat Steinberg of the police department's research team, use 
of Ecstasy can result in brain damage and one of its ingredients, MDMA, can 
cause death. Even moderate users of Ecstasy have reported feelings of 
depression for several days after use.

There is also a danger of the body heating up, especially in small clubs 
which are improperly ventilated - favorite places in which to use this drug 
as it combines well with dancing to trance music. Users feel that they need 
to drink a lot of water while dancing, and the water intake itself can be 
dangerous, upsetting the electrolytic balance and overloading the body. 
This can lead to internal swelling which can cause death.

In addition to marijuana and Ecstasy, Weissman says the types of drugs used 
by non-addicts are hallucinatory drugs such as LSD, as well as alcohol.

Those used by addicts are heroin, coke crystals and cocaine as well as 
Vint, "similar to an amphetamine."

Simcha, 16, who also didn't want his name used, said he has yet to move 
beyond marijuana. "I don't really know why. It is just a general feeling of 
wanting to stay safe. Whatever they say about marijuana it is not the same 
as other drugs. It is not addictive and it is not harmful."

Life under the influence of marijuana is good, some teens say.

"It is not a bad thing," says Samuel. "Everyone gets to the point of 
understanding that it is not a bad thing."

Samuel and Simcha have "gone to class stoned." Although in those instances 
they didn't pay attention to the teacher, they say it's possible to study 
while high.

Samuel says smoking marijuana "has improved my life tremendously. I always 
used to be so angry and now I smoke and I feel good."

Marijuana helps you "bring out who you are supposed to be," says Simcha. 
"It also brings you friends."

"It can make you an individual," says Samuel. "You attract people when you 
smoke because they see you are having fun."

The trio explain that when they have "smoked up" they have better 
conversations with friends. Sometimes they discuss existential questions 
and other times they are silly.

Yaniv says children turn to drugs to "feel good," and because they are 
fashionable. "In today's society, children look for instant gratification. 
They want to feel happy now."

The difference between a user and an addict becomes obvious in times of 
drought, she explains. "When a teenager can't get his drug of choice, does 
he run out to steal it, does he do anything he can to get hold of it?" Drug 
addiction is a disease, she says.

"It is hard to help them because they don't want help. Some think that it 
is good for them,"says Weissman

Uri explains that "for the first two years I smoked marijuana I was 
basically losing a lot of money, I was spending a lot on weed because I was 
enjoying it so much. I even started dealing so I could get it for free. 
Then I realized I had to slow my pace and now I can deal fine with weed and 
keep my life on track."

"When I am stoned I will just go and make people laugh," he says.

It's not just marijuana that offers an enjoyable high, says Uri. "Mushrooms 
make you feel very, very, very happy. Everything is different and 
everything is just shaping into different things. You run away from 
reality. You don't even think about the bad things.

"If you start to feel depressed you just think of a beach, for instance and 
you are there. You are in control of your emotions," Uri says.

Uri says that even drugs such as marijuana are not uni-dimension weeds. 
There are many different types, he says.

Israel is not known for offering top-quality marijuana. "Shwag is what we 
get here...no good at all," Uri says. Shwag can be bought from Israeli 
Arabs and from Beduins, and from those who go to visit Beduin areas.

"We still have fun smoking it but the quality in no way compares to what 
you can get in Europe." Kind Bud, Uri says, known as KB, is grown in 
Amsterdam under laboratory conditions. Because use of cannabis and its 
derivatives is legal in Holland, what is available is of a high quality and 
less

detrimental to one's health.

"They make the best stuff because they make it with the best equipment," 
Uri says.

Other popular types of marijuana include Purple Haze, so called because of 
its color, and Buggle Gum which tastes sweet, Uri says.

"You can't buy these other types here," says Salomon. But young people who 
go to Amsterdam will mail it to their friends in envelopes."

Rolled joints is not the only way teens inhale marijuana. They smoke it in 
homemade "bongs" using a small empty plastic bottle and a pipe, which can 
be bought from any "pop" shop or market.

"That is what is so crazy," says Samuel. The police are looking all over 
for those who smoke and yet they sell pipes and rolling papers in the shops."

On the subject of mixing alcohol and weed, they say it happens a lot, 
particularly at parties. One has to be careful not to have a "bad trip," 
which means feeling very sick and vomiting and having the room spin. They 
advise waiting a while after smoking before having a drink.

Teens do see some down sides to smoking.

Samuel has twice been stopped by the police, but does not yet have a 
record. "Both times the policemen talked to me and warned me but were very 
nice about it."

The penalties for marijuana use are as follows, the first time a teenager 
is caught by the police he receives a warning. The second time a file is 
opened at the police station and he will have to go to court with his 
parents. This will result in several hours of community service or a fine. 
The idea is to make it "a learning experience," says Bitton.

The third time the child will be sent to a correction center, and the 
fourth and fifth times to jail, albeit a special one for teenagers.

Selling, says Bitton is much more serious. Even the first or second time 
can result in a prison sentence. There are no warnings to drug dealers. If 
the dealing has been on a small scale the sentence will be of several 
months but if it has been on a large scale it could be years.

Drug-related crimes are theft - including breaking and entering and purse 
snatching - and prostitution, "both boys and girls," says Hamburger. "Hard 
drugs are very expensive, perhaps $100 a day for one or two grams."

Outside of legal problems, there can sometimes be social issues with drugs.

And not all their friends approve. "When you start smoking your other 
friends see you as 'a smoker' and a lot of them don't approve, particularly 
the girls. They are always telling us to quit," says Samuel.

Weissman says teens turn for help when they are in severe crisis: perhaps 
their family has thrown them out and they become homeless, or they run out 
of money and have no one to turn to."

Teens say they see their drug habit as something they will drop as adults, 
particularly the "hard drugs." "You can't go on to hard drugs when you have a

family. There are too many responsibilities."

Already Uri is trying to turn his life around. In September he is starting 
a course that will enable him to finish high school.

He got a lot of help from Raquel Sanchez of the Rose Institute, known as a 
guardian angel to many of the homeless youth of Kikar Zion.

"She used to be nice and treat everyone well but she makes you do things 
and promises all kinds of help like checks for housing and free meals and 
now she has just gone (to the US)."

Bitton's advice to the youth is that there are other things in life that 
are fun, and that "you don't have to use drugs or alcohol to 'feel high,' 
you can also get high on having a good time with your friends, and you 
don't need to take Ecstasy to enjoy yourself at a party."
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