Written by Pesach Benson
JJERUSALEM — Drug and alcohol use is skyrocketing among Israeli teenagers displaced by war, according to a report released April 18.
Israeli rescue workers recover the body of Zaher Bishara, who was killed in a Hezbollah rocket attack on Kiryat Shmona on March 27, 2024. (Erez Ben Shimon/TPS)
A report published by Elam Assun, an organization that works with at-risk teenagers, found that “emotional states and particularly dangerous There is a clear deterioration in both behavior.” .
“These phenomena manifest in things like wandering, drug use, and attending unsupervised parties.
“At the starting point, northern youth were not exposed to the direct trauma that southern youth faced, but without the same comprehensive response that southern youth received, Elamite workers and “Volunteers are seeing the situation worsening. The ground is deteriorating and is expected to get worse,” the report said.
Approximately 250,000 Israelis living in communities near the Gaza-Lebanon border have been forced from their homes since October 7, living in subsidized hotels or staying with relatives.
According to the report, teenage evacuees from the north consume twice as much drugs and alcohol as evacuees from the south.
It also noted that 22% of teens in the north attended unsupervised parties, compared to 5% of evacuees in the south.
Additionally, one in four teens suffer from depression or anxiety, and 50% struggle with ongoing feelings of loneliness.
SSince October 7, around 5,000 teenagers have received help through Elam’s digital chat, with the number of requests soaring to twice that of previous years.
Elam’s mental support system received 2,504 calls, an increase of 58%.
“The Elam report reflects the current state of affairs regarding the dangerous behavior of Israeli teenagers. ” said Rabbi Shai Pilon, chairman of Elam.
“The State of Israel has not yet established a regulated system for caring for children in the north, and the price will be high. They will accompany us for many years.
“We also need a comprehensive national plan for the rest of Israel’s youth.
“Elam will continue to stand with young people, support them and help them cope with difficult crises.”
Residents of Gaza Strip communities are already gradually returning to their homes. But Hezbollah leaders have indicated they will continue firing rockets to prevent Israelis from returning to their homes in the north.
Israeli officials have called for Hezbollah to be disarmed and removed from southern Lebanon in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War.
