BGU Researchers Part of UN Institute on Drug Use
BGU Researchers Part of UN Institute on Drug Use
May 7, 2014
Medical Research, Press Releases
NEW YORK, May 7, 2014 – 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 that disseminates 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, 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 womens’ 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 underserved population.
“The use of 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 Baltimore philanthropist and drug abuse specialist, Toby Mower.
ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.
About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.
We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.
BGU at a glance:
20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.
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