Bonny-Noach Hagit
Department of Criminology, Ariel University and Board member of the Israeli society of Addiction Medicine (ILSAM), Ariel, Israel.
Isr J Health Policy Res. 2018 May 4;7(1):23. doi: 10.1186/s13584-018-0223-2.
Over the past 20 years, the young-adult backpacking trip has emerged as a significant social phenomenon in Israeli society. This has received attention from scholars specializing in anthropology and tourism research, but only a few analytical studies exist on the drug policy processes and few provide Israeli social and health perspectives. The interaction of policymakers, media, and health deviancy is an important focus of inquiry. This study charts the establishment of a drug policy for Israeli backpackers. It covers the period from the emergence of the problem in the early 1990s until the present.
This study employs content analysis of newspaper articles and official documents, protocols, and reports written by policymakers and professionals. The latter were mostly produced by the Israel Anti-Drug Authority (IADA) and the Special Committee on Drug and Alcohol Abuse (SCDAA) in the Israeli Knesset. These are the two major Israeli agencies responsible for drug policy.
Three periods in the establishment of backpacker drug policy can be identified. First period - until late 1995: No drug problem was recognized. The subject was not part of the public agenda. Even so, many backpackers were actually taking drugs. Second Period - late 1995 to 2000: The Israeli media started to report intensively on backpacker drug use. The issue then flared up into a significant 'social problem' demanding health and social solutions. In this phase, policymakers capitalized on a window of opportunity, and formulated a policy emphasizing prevention. Third period - from 2001 until the present: A sea change in institutional attitude occurred. In this period, drug-policy emphasis shifted from prevention to therapeutic-treatment approaches. As a result, harm reduction and unique treatment strategies were developed.
Policymakers should continue to improve health prevention, treatment, and harm reduction resources. It is recommended that the Ministry of Health set up consultation centers at clinics for travelers. These would provide support and assistance to backpackers before, during, and after their trips. The attention that Israel's drug policy for backpackers gives to prevention, treatment, and harm reduction is the first of its kind and unique. It can therefore serve as a model for other countries.
在过去20年里，以色列社会中年轻人背包旅行已成为一种重要的社会现象。这受到了人类学和旅游研究领域学者的关注，但关于毒品政策进程的分析研究却很少，且很少有研究从以色列社会和健康角度进行探讨。政策制定者、媒体和健康偏差行为之间的互动是一个重要的研究焦点。本研究梳理了以色列背包客毒品政策的制定过程。它涵盖了从20世纪90年代初问题出现到现在的时间段。
本研究采用对报纸文章以及政策制定者和专业人士撰写的官方文件、协议和报告进行内容分析的方法。后者大多由以色列禁毒局（IADA）和以色列议会毒品与酒精滥用特别委员会（SCDAA）撰写。这是以色列负责毒品政策的两个主要机构。
可以确定背包客毒品政策制定过程中的三个阶段。第一阶段——直到1995年末：未认识到毒品问题。该问题未列入公共议程。即便如此，许多背包客实际上在吸毒。第二阶段——1995年末至2000年：以色列媒体开始密集报道背包客吸毒情况。该问题随后演变成一个重大的“社会问题”，需要健康和社会方面的解决方案。在此阶段，政策制定者利用了一个机会窗口，制定了一项强调预防的政策。第三阶段——从2001年至今：机构态度发生了巨大变化。在此期间，毒品政策重点从预防转向治疗方法。结果，制定了减少伤害和独特的治疗策略。
政策制定者应继续改善健康预防、治疗和减少伤害方面的资源。建议卫生部在旅行者诊所设立咨询中心。这些中心将在背包客旅行前、旅行中和旅行后为他们提供支持和帮助。以色列针对背包客的毒品政策对预防、治疗和减少伤害的关注是首创且独特的。因此，它可以为其他国家提供一个范例。
