Generally, when we conjure up thoughts on the potential downfall of Israel, we consider images of an Iranian nuclear weapon striking the heart of Tel Aviv, increases in terror that would make the land unlivable for Jews, or even the existential threat of non-Jewish Arabs overtaking Jews as the majority. However, another formidable foe should be added to that list- booze.
According to a new report, 75-percent of boys and 25-percent of elementary age girls consume alcohol during the week. Additional data shows that alcohol-related car accidents account for 2-percent of the total and the alcoholism rate is .5 percent (compared to 4-percent in Russia and 1.5-percent in the United States).
The author of the alert urges schools to take a more proactive educational approach to the matter and the government to enforce existing regulations on the issue. The author writes:
“The paucity of selling points along with the supervision that would ensure that only adults above 18 will be allowed to purchase alcohol will prevent the unbearable ease with which any child today can get vodka for 30 or 40 shekels at the kiosk.”
(Between you and me, those kids are overpaying.)
Some Israelis speculate on the causes of the increased prevalence of alcohol over the last two decades. I have not seen any studies that suggest the reason, nor do I necessarily agree with these speculations, but some Israelis attribute the increase in alcoholism in Israel to the influx of Russian immigrants into the country during the early 1990s. These Israelis contend that the aliyah brought many cultural aspects previously foreign to Israel, including an affinity for booze.
In Russia the alcohol epidemic is worse than in Israel, with the average person drinking 40 bottles of vodka per year. Just take into account men, and the number skyrockets to 70 bottles annually.
I don’t even think many frat guys could keep up with those figures.
A few months ago, I wrote about the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine through the lens of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. While it appears likely that the war will carry on into the foreseeable future, enough time has passed for us to make an honest assessment of each side’s relative […]
The Ukrainian Army has made dramatic strides in the last few weeks. Ukraine’s tactical commanders have outfoxed their Russian counterparts, and by issuing a feint towards the south the UA has been able to earn substantial gains in the north of their country. The impact of these efforts have been compounded by the steady stream […]
In mid-May the Irish political party, Sinn Féin, won the plurality of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Many American readers might not fully understand the significance of Sinn Féin’s political victory- but rest assured that subjects of the United Kingdom and a wide range of political movements the world over have heard the message […]
The first wave of the Russian offensive in Ukraine has fallen short of Russian autocrat Vladmir Putin’s ambitions. Most analysts deduced that Putin had hoped to achieve a decapitation strike of the Ukrainian government- taking Kiev and replacing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zolinski with a pro-Kremlin voice. Kiev has been threatened repeatedly through the course of […]
On the weekend of March 26th, the notorious MS-13 gang went on a massive killing spree in El Salvador which left more than 70 people dead by Sunday. Even for a country where powerful gangs hold massive sway, this recent tragedy stands out considering that it was the bloodiest day on record since the civil […]
