Alcohol control policy in Israel 1986-1987: recognizing the need for diverse primary prevention initiatives

The purpose of this paper is to describe the recent integration of two different preventive models (the 'Distribution of Consumption Model' and the 'Social Science Model'), planned to support each other, in order to reduce per capita alcohol consumption and curb the rise in alcohol-related problems in Israel, to shed light on the Israeli laws regulating alcohol use and on the extent of their enforcement, to illustrate the causes for their enforcement and to discern some indications for future directions. Although the focus on attitudes and practices which lead to excessive drinking, and the efforts to change them through education remain the very core of the entire Israeli preventive program, alcohol itself has been considered to be a source of difficulties. The beginning of law-enforcement concerning its availability among youngsters and drivers has emerged, both as a result of several fatal events and intense pressures of the Israeli Alcoholism Prevention and Treatment Services. The present tasks are to reinforce the emerging trends of enforcement concerning the existing laws, to adopt some new regulations pertaining to alcohol advertising targeted at adolescents, and to continue with the educational messages based on Jewish-Israeli norms.