In a stark reversal of fortunes, Israel, a nation known for its cutting-edge healthcare system, now finds itself at the epicenter of a growing opioid crisis.
Recent data reveals that Israelis have become the world's largest per capita consumers of opioids, a statistic that flies in the face of earlier reassurances from the country's Health Ministry.
This development bears an eerie resemblance to the crisis that has gripped the United States for over two decades. In America, the toll has been devastating: over a million lives lost to overdoses, more than 320,000 children orphaned, and an annual economic burden of $1 trillion. A Johns Hopkins study found that one in three Americans has lost someone to a drug overdose, underscoring the pervasive nature of the epidemic.
Israel's journey into this crisis began much like America's—with aggressive promotion by pharmaceutical companies claiming these potent painkillers were both effective and non-addictive. The Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma and manufacturers of OxyContin, played a pivotal role in both countries. The fallout has been so severe that Tel Aviv University's Medical Faculty, once proudly bearing the Sackler name, has since distanced itself from this controversial legacy.
Prof. Nadav Davidovitch of Ben-Gurion University paints a grim picture of the situation. Speaking before the Knesset Health Committee, he emphasized that the rise in opioid consumption spans socioeconomic divides, affecting both low-income communities and the affluent. His call for comprehensive treatment programs, based on international best practices, has yet to be fully heeded.
The regulatory landscape in Israel has proven woefully inadequate to address this burgeoning crisis. Prof. Pinhas Dannon, chief psychiatrist at Herzog Medical Center, points out a glaring oversight: any medical degree holder can prescribe synthetic painkillers without special prescriptions, time limits, or supervision. This lax approach has led to a proliferation of opioid use with little to no follow-up on patient outcomes or potential misuse.
Dr. Paola Rosca, head of the Health Ministry's addictions department since 2006, faces an uphill battle in addressing the crisis. Her efforts to introduce mandatory courses on addiction in medical schools have been stymied by resistance from the Israel Medical Association. Similarly, proposals for electronic monitoring of opioid purchases have been blocked by the Justice Ministry, citing privacy concerns.
Perhaps most alarming is the lack of accurate data on the scope of the problem. The Health Ministry admits it doesn't have reliable statistics on the number of addicted individuals, including within the Arab community. A study in collaboration with the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute aims to provide more accurate figures by December, but previous committee recommendations on opioids have gone unpublished.
Yasmin Nachum, director-general of the Israel Public Health Association (IPHA), confirms the grim reality: Israel is indeed facing an opioid epidemic comparable to that of the United States. The IPHA, with a staff of 1,100 including 170 professionals, works tirelessly with 3,000 addicted patients daily. Their efforts extend beyond addiction treatment to encompass mental health, food and water safety, and rehabilitation.
The crisis has been exacerbated by the recent restructuring of Israel's Anti-Drug Authority. Once an effective force in combating drug abuse, it has lost much of its potency after being absorbed into the Ministry for National Security and undergoing a name change.
As Israel grapples with this escalating crisis, the need for a coordinated, multi-faceted approach becomes increasingly apparent. The nation's healthcare system faces a critical test, one that will require not just medical intervention but a fundamental shift in policy and public awareness. The question looms large: Can Israel learn from America's painful lessons and chart a different course, or is it destined to relive the same tragic narrative that has unfolded across the Atlantic?
In the shadow of ongoing geopolitical challenges, including the recent Nova massacre that has further strained mental health resources, Israel now faces an internal threat that could reshape its social fabric for generations to come. The opioid crisis, long neglected, demands immediate and concerted action from all sectors of Israeli society. The clock is ticking, and the stakes couldn't be higher.
* JPost contributed to this article.
