NEW YORK (Press Release)–Two Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers were appointed to the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), which will raise international awareness about the prevention and treatment of drug and substance addiction.
Prof. Richard Isralowitz, director of BGU’s Regional Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research (RADAR) Center, and Dr. Alexander Reznik, RADAR Center senior research associate, will join a network of international experts. They will advocate for and assist in the development and implementation of evidence-based interventions, policies and best practices tailored to women’s needs.
RADAR is a leading academic unit in Israel for the research and dissemination of information about the use and abuse of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. The RADAR Center is recognized by the United States Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration and is part of an international network of organizations disseminating information about drug prevention and treatment.
As part of their contribution to the United Nations effort, the BGU researchers are working on a UN published book titled, Former Soviet Union Immigrant Needs: Drug Use Profiles and Special Needs, focusing on immigrant female drug users from the former Soviet Union. Prof. Isralowitz and colleagues will examine the women’s health conditions and immigration and acculturation patterns regarding their drug use, and will perform comparative research to contribute to strategies on prevention and treatment for this under served population.
“The use of such drugs is not a new phenomenon, but one that takes on meaning and importance to its social context that varies over time and location,” Isralowitz explains. “For immigrants, this includes country of origin and place of current residence.”
In addition to RADAR, BGU has taken a significant role in changing the way addiction is viewed and handled specifically in Israel through the Toby Mower Curriculum for the Prevention and Treatment of Addiction, developed with Denver philanthropist and drug abuse specialist, Toby Mower.
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Preceding provided by Ben Gurion University