The Use of Psychoactive Substances in a Conflict Area in the West Bank: Drug Use Risk Factors and Practices in Palestinian Refugee Camps

Damiri, Basma

doi:10.1007/s11469-019-00183-1

Cited by 14 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Our study shows that the Palestinian refugee population in Jordan are increasingly vulnerable to drug availability and drug activity due to their marginalised situation within the camps and their general lack of opportunity which slowly but persistently undermines the sense of identity which many once had. Similar has been reported in the West Bank and Gaza (Massad et al, 2016;Al-Afifi et al, 2015;Damiri et al, 2018aDamiri et al, :b:2019Van Hout et al, 2019). There FGs however have highlighted both divergence and convergence around perspectives on the issue of substance/drug use in the camps, and how this affects children, families and communities.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 64%

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Perspectives of Frontline Professionals on Palestinian Children Living with Sibling and Parental Drug Use in the UNRWA Camps, Jordan

Wazaify

Abushams

Al-Afifi³

et al. 2020

Int J Ment Health Addiction

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Context: The occupied Palestinian territories (oPt) consists of the non-contiguous West Bank including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. It is densely populated within these confines, and has a unique socio-economic context characterized by political and economic tensions . Around 2.2 million Palestinians are displaced and living in the ten UNRWA refugee camps in Jordan. Palestinian communities are exposed to a double burden of disease caused by the severe economic, social and health consequences of Israeli occupation and resultant displacement. Exposure to political violence, economic hardship, fragmentation of Palestinian families, unemployment, trauma and community stress underpin a reported rise in drug abuse. . Method: A qualitative study using focus groups ( n =3) with a convenience sample of health care and educational professionals was conducted in two UNRWA camps ( Al-Zarka, Al-Wehdat ) in Jordan. Guided discussions explored the experiences of these professionals in working with Palestinian families and children affected by substance/drug use and drug use disorder in the home. Data were analysed using thematic analysis (TA). Results: Five themes emerged from the TA. These were: 1)Access to drugs was perceived to be relatively easy in the camps; 2) Attitudes towards drugs appear to have desensitised, yet stigma persists; 3) Families of drug users are affected by fear, social and economic poverty, with significant physical and psychological cost to children; 4) Powered by Editorial Manager® and ProduXion Manager® from Aries Systems CorporationCauses of substance/drug use in Palestinian communities living in Jordanian UNRWA camps is multifactorial; 5) Solutions are multi-faceted and indicative of the need for prevention and support for those at risk, and affected . Conclusions: Threats to UNRWA from the current political climate and the reducing investment in services may exacerbate this public health and security issue. For an evidence based approach to have credibility in the camp communities, there is a need for accurate, factual information, along with robust epidemiological data, relating to the extent, characteristics and harms associated with drug use.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 64%

“…Similarly, in the West Bank, a study conducted on 835 male teenagers aged 15-16 years reported that 50.6% of refugee camp teenagers were current tobacco smokers, slightly higher than that reported by city teenagers (40.3%) and those living in villages (38.4%) (Damiri, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Perspectives of Frontline Professionals on Palestinian Children Living with Sibling and Parental Drug Use in the UNRWA Camps, Jordan

Wazaify

Abushams

Al-Afifi³

et al. 2020

Int J Ment Health Addiction

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“…5 The initiation age (12 years), the pattern of use (daily), and the co-occurrence of other licit and illicit substance use were the most associated with ED consumption and tobacco smoking. 5 , 6 , 17 Moreover, cigarettes and waterpipe smoking have recently been considered culturally and socially acceptable among Palestinians, especially young women, and refugee children. 5 , 6 , 17 Chronic psychological stress and psychological disorders are common among Palestinian refugees due to their socioeconomic status and lifestyle.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…5 , 6 , 17 Moreover, cigarettes and waterpipe smoking have recently been considered culturally and socially acceptable among Palestinians, especially young women, and refugee children. 5 , 6 , 17 Chronic psychological stress and psychological disorders are common among Palestinian refugees due to their socioeconomic status and lifestyle. 6 These factors contribute to an increased prevalence of obesity, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome (MetS), and substance abuse.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metabolic Syndrome Associated with Tobacco and Caffeine Products Use Among Refugee Adolescents: Risk of Dyslipidemia

Damiri¹,

Khatib²,

Nazzal³

et al. 2021

DMSO

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Introduction Due to their stressful lives, Palestinian refugees are prone to use cognitive enhancers (CE) and psychostimulant substances (PS). Recognising health problems associated with CE/PS use can indicate how preventive programs should be directed towards adolescents. Unfortunately, research has not thoroughly investigated the health problems related to tobacco and caffeine products, the most socially acceptable CE/PS among Palestinian refugee adolescents. Methodology In 2021, schoolchildren from five Palestinian refugee camps (N=271) aged 12-<16 years agreed to give blood samples and to be interviewed to address the association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and tobacco smoking, coffee, energy drinks (ED), black tea, and chocolate consumption. MetS was diagnosed based on International Diabetic Federation Criteria. To address the association, we used binary logistic regression models adjusted to age, gender, BMI, and central obesity. Results The prevalence of MetS was [17 (6.3%)]; (7.4%) in males, (5.1%) in females. The prevalence of substance use was as follows: ED [163 (48.9%)], coffee [255 (76.6%)], black tea [295 (89.1%)], cigarette [35 (10.5%)], waterpipe [59 (17.7%)], and chocolate [309 (93.6%)], with male predominance. Cigarette smokers have increased central obesity (p-value=0.024), and decreased HDL-cholesterol (p-value=0.015) than non-smokers. Similar results were observed for waterpipe smokers besides the increased levels of triglycerides (p-value=0.01). ED consumers have increased central obesity (p-value=0.03) and fast blood sugar (p-value=0.003) than non-consumers. Chocolate consumers have decreased central obesity (p-value=0.008) and increased HDL levels (p-value=0.04) than non-consumers. ED consumers were significantly at higher risk of MetS (OR=9.97, p-value=0.019) than non-consumers and chocolate consumers were at lower risk of MetS (OR=0.14, p-value=0.046) than non-consumers. Waterpipe smokers were at a higher risk of having increased plasma triglycerides than non-consumers (OR=3.4, p-value=0.03). Conclusion The high prevalence of ED consumption and waterpipe smoking in Palestinian refugee adolescents is problematic. Their use was associated with higher odds of MetS, dyslipidemia, and central obesity, which justifies greater attention.

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“…are generally denied full rights to political, economic and societal integration (employment, property ownership), are restricted access to public education, public health care and social services, and consequently experience acute socio-economic deprivation ( Habib et al., 2012 ; Kitamura et al., 2018 ). Further to the political insecurity, complicated by the impending angst around the ‘right to return’, Palestinian refugee communities in the drug transit and drug production countries of Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, West Bank and Gaza are reported to increasingly experience camp insecurity and drug related health threats and vulnerabilities ( Thabet & Dajani, 2012 ; UNRWA/UNICEF, 2018 ; Massad et al., 2016 ; Al-Afifi et al., 2019 ; Damiri, 2019 ; Syam et al., 2019 ; Van Hout et al., 2019 ; Wazaify et al., 2020 ). These conditions inside camps, along with tensions with the outside or host communities collectively increase their risk of substance use and high-risk drug use ( Afifi et al., 2019 ; Anera, 2019 ).…”

Section: Viewpointmentioning

confidence: 99%

Public health imperatives in countering drug related health threats and vulnerabilities in contemporary Palestinian refugee camps

Hout

Aaraj²,

Maalouf

2020

International Journal of Drug Policy

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The Use of Psychoactive Substances in a Conflict Area in the West Bank: Drug Use Risk Factors and Practices in Palestinian Refugee Camps

Cited by 14 publications

References 34 publications

Perspectives of Frontline Professionals on Palestinian Children Living with Sibling and Parental Drug Use in the UNRWA Camps, Jordan

Perspectives of Frontline Professionals on Palestinian Children Living with Sibling and Parental Drug Use in the UNRWA Camps, Jordan

Metabolic Syndrome Associated with Tobacco and Caffeine Products Use Among Refugee Adolescents: Risk of Dyslipidemia

Public health imperatives in countering drug related health threats and vulnerabilities in contemporary Palestinian refugee camps

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