Estimating the Extent of Illicit Drug Use in Palestine

By The United Nations Office on drugs and Crime (UNODC)

The unique socioeconomic context in Palestine, characterized by political and economic tensions, has created conditions that facilitate the spread of illicit drug use among Palestinians. Data are lacking on the extent of high-risk drug use (HRDU) in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip but are a prerequisite to inform policy-making. HRDU is defined as ‘recurrent drug use that causes actual harm (negative consequences) to the person (including dependence, but also other health, psychological or social problems) or places the person at a high probability/risk of such harm’. The overall objective of this study was to provide insight into the extent of male HRDU in Palestine. This survey sampled only male participants based on findings from formative research indicating that females are not connected socially to males and/or to other females who use drugs. The study had four sites representing the Gaza Strip and the three regions in the West Bank: north, middle, and south. The study found that drug use is not confined to specific areas or localities within Palestine, but is widely distributed across the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Based on the data, it is estimated that there are 26,500 high risk drug users (HRDU) in Palestine, comprising 1.8% of the male population aged 15 and above.

Vienna: United Nations Offce on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). 2017. 77p.