Why Israel’s Drug Center Needs to be Stopped

Drugs in Israel run rampant, and while the marijuana scene may be harmless, there’s far worse to worry about on our streets than cannabis. Israelis are becoming hard drug users, and these drugs are increasing in popularity.

It might be a cultural influence shift, but not everything can be blamed on the United States and the Internet.

Israeli drug dealers are joining forces with the cartels, and by joining forces, the rise in cocaine use has doubled. Trafficking has doubled, and exports and imports are on the rise. A 2013 report showed that Israel, once not known for its cocaine use or manufacturing, was playing a role in the increase of cocaine trafficking.

Israel keeps close control on the subject of cocaine, and sparse information can be found about the industry. The Anti-Drug Authority does show that cocaine use doubled between 2005 and 2009. One parent of all Israelis between 18 and 40 used cocaine at this time.

There’s been an increase in the number of patients that have entered the hospital due to cocaine use, too.

Cocaine isn’t the only drug on the rise. Opioid abuse is also on the rise, and it’s a major problem that has also been impacting the United States. An average of 89 people per day in the United States died of an overdose on prescription opioids. The problem is so prevalent that emergency workers do not have the medicine needed to reverse an overdose. Some clinics have to choose who lives or dies when they overdose.

You also find a rising jail population, in both US and Israel, with drug users spending a significant amount of time in jail for even minor offenses.

“As a result of societal and political pressures, the police and prosecutors are cracking down on drug crimes, with little regard for defendants’ legal rights and adequate evidence proving the crime,” states the Keller Law Offices website.

Drug raids are on the rise, and a massive raid in August led to 24 suspects being arrested in Northern Israel. Undercover agents went on a five-month drug string that allowed the agents to infiltrate the suspects’ drug ring and led to the arrest of 24 drug dealers. A massive operation, there were 200 detectives involved and a drug-sniffing dog, too.

Suspects sold cannabis, Ecstasy and cocaine from their homes in Nahariya, Acre and Haifa.

Gag orders, which seem to help hide the growing drug problem, are in place that do not permit the amount of drugs seized to be made public. Police operations just like this one are going on all over Israel with the goal of capturing more drug traffickers and sellers.

Operatives attempt to keep drugs off the streets, but no matter what is done, there will always be more traffickers and dealers to fill the ranks.

Imprisonment doesn’t seem to fix the issue, especially with harder drugs, such as cocaine and heroin. Education, programs and genuinely helping addicts kick their addition once and for all seems to be the best approach. But will budgets allow for this, or will it continue to be swept under the rug as more and more people turn into addicts?