11% of Israel’s Youth Have Admitted to Using Drugs

11% of Israel’s teens have admitted to using drugs, the Ministry of Education revealed on Tuesday at the Knesset Addictions and Drugs Committee.

In the years 2015-2020, the number of youth using drugs who were transferred to the probation service for treatment has doubled, the data showed.

The Committee held a session on the serious damage caused to youth from cannabis use, such as emotional and cognitive impairments, and the increase in drug use in general following the Coronavirus crisis.

Committee Chairman Member of Knesset (MK) Ram Shefa blamed the lack of educational frameworks, which he said leads to a deterioration of the youth, including an increase in addictions.

“Our task is to regulate the cannabis market towards the youth, separately from the rest of the population,” he said.

According to MK Michal Waldiger, who initiated the special session, two ministry committees have determined that cannabis use under the age of 25 can lead to addiction, anxiety, depression, suicide, and impaired personal development.

According to Keren Roth-Itach, the Ministry of Education’s drug and alcohol prevention officer, the social atmosphere is very significant. Only 5% of the youth admitted to using drugs in 2014, while a survey in 2019 showed 11% of the youth admitted to using drugs.