Harm Reduction Drug Policy in Israel: Achievements and Future Challenges

• In Event: POLWG Panel 26. Beyond Police Enforcement: Diversion, Harm Reduction, Offender Management and Early Intervention

Abstract

Israel’s formal drug policy is primarily rooted in a traditional approach emphasizing abstinence, probation, and punitive measures, structured around three main pillars: (1) Enforcement, (2) Treatment and Rehabilitation, and (3) Prevention. However, within the treatment pillar, Israel has integrated several harm reduction services, primarily targeting individuals who use heroin and people who inject drugs (PWID). These services include Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT), Buprenorphine Maintenance Treatment (BMT), and Needle and Syringe Exchange Programs (NSEP). Additionally, specialized harm reduction initiatives operate within Tel Aviv’s largest open drug scene, including a health clinic, an emergency shelter for female sex workers with substance use disorders, and the First Step Center. In recent years, harm reduction policies have also evolved concerning cannabis use, shifting from a predominantly enforcement-based approach to decriminalization of recreational use.
This presentation examines the development of harm reduction policies and interventions in Israel, focusing on services for individuals who use heroin and cannabis, while highlighting the absence of a comprehensive, structured national harm reduction strategy.
Conclusions and Recommendations: Establish a comprehensive, multidisciplinary harm reduction policy at the national level; Expand and enhance services for Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) patients and PWID; Implement a nationwide effort to reduce stigma and discrimination against people who use drugs; Extend harm reduction strategies to encompass other commonly used substances, including cannabis, amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS), and hallucinogens; Develop targeted interventions for adolescents and young adults who engage in polysubstance use.

Author

• Hagit Bonny-Noach, Head of Addiction Research Lab, Department of Criminology, Ariel University & Board Member of ILSAM- The Israeli Society of Addiction Medicine