Free alcohol for youth in Israeli clubs

Shoshana Weiss

A recent study among Israeli youth aged 14 to 18, carried out in November-December 2000 and published in Alcologia, revealed that about 37 per cent of respondents reported being drunk at least once in the last year. About 67 per cent of the participants visited pubs, bars, or clubs where alcohol was served in the previous year. Senior high school students visited such places more (67 per cent - 10th-11th grades, 80 per cent - 12th grade) than junior high school students (40 per cent). It is clear that visiting public drinking places is common among Israeli adolescents, in spite of the fact that the supply of alcoholic beverages to minors in bars, pubs, and clubs is prohibited by a law of which there is no serious enforcement.

While such studies among teenagers appear frequently, data concerning Israeli army personnel are confidential. In spite of this, some findings have been published in the past and revealed a much higher proportion of alcohol use among soldiers (18-to-21-year-old youngsters) in comparison to high school students. In addition, studies among university students (18+ years old) also showed a higher proportion of alcohol drinking compared to high school students. Adolescents, soldiers, and college and university students visit pubs and clubs in the weekends (Thursdays- Saturdays). Those clubs are open from midnight until six in the morning and nowadays serve as the main source of entertainment for Israeli youth.

Example: Free bar in a club near Haifa

Alcoholic drinks in supermarkets are not expensive and the price of beer is the same as or lower than the price of fruit juices. Naturally, the cost of alcoholic beverages in clubs or pubs is more than that in supermarkets or grocery stores. However, local and foreign alcohol producers make intensive efforts to increase the consumption of alcohol in Israel, including the offer of free alcoholic beverages to young people in many clubs and pubs at weekends. It is reasonable to assume that the clubs do not lose money and that the alcohol industry supplies the clubs with some brands either free or at reduced prices in order to establish brand loyalty among the young sector of the population.

Whatever the precise financial arrangement, clubs are unlikely to distribute free alcoholic beverages without the co-operation or permission of the producers. While alcohol is served free, mineral water or fruit juice are generally expensive in the clubs. In the light of the difficult economic situation in Israel, and the fact that most adolescents and soldiers have restricted disposable income, it is inevitable that they choose free beer rather than expensive juice. In addition, there are clubs that offer young people alcoholic drinks such as vodka, tequila, wine, rum, gin, beer, and champagne for only 2 NIS (40 American cents).

Invitation cards to such events are distributed in central stations, trains, near schools, near military camps, and are also sent by mail to certain young people that registered as "members" in these clubs or pubs.

Mostly, the names of the alcohol brand sponsors are not mentioned on the cards, but sometimes the brands' names do appear, such as the local "Goldstar" or the foreign "Tuborg" beer. However, once in the clubs, young people can get free beers from local breweries such as Tempo Beer Industries as well as those of foreign origin such as Heineken and Carlsberg, some of which are produced by licence in Israel, as well as imported distilled spirits and wines of many foreign brands.

As can be seen, foreign alcohol producers of beers, wines, and distilled spirits behave in Israel in a way that is forbidden in their own countries, taking advantage of the absence of local regulations and law enforcement and the difficult economic condition. As well as the imported drinks, the foreign brands produced in Israel by licence or distributed by the local industry are marketed in a way which is unacceptable in their countries of origin. Furthermore, as can be seen in the examples, most invitation cards are aimed at 18+ years old youngsters (mainly soldiers), but some are aimed at 17-to-18-year-old students.

Many of the youth clubs that offer free alcohol are located in kibbutzim. The kibbutz is a small co-operative enterprise, a voluntary closed society based on communal property, production (both agricultural and industrial) and labour, and on communal consumption and living arrangements. Many urban youngsters drive to those clubs from towns and cities. This fact makes the "free alcohol" phenomenon even more dangerous, since many traffic accidents can be attributed to the "drink as much alcohol as you can" habit. Indeed, a number of recent fatal accidents happened when young people were on their way home to the city from such "rural" clubs. Thus, thousands of young people are on the roads between midnight and six o'clock in the morning at weekends, after drinking free alcoholic beverages, or very cheap alcoholic drinks. Police presence on the roads at these times is very limited.

The Israel Society for the Prevention of Alcoholism is consulting with legal experts concerning ways to cope with the free alcohol phenomenon in youth clubs. In addition, the Association is having a series of meetings with police officers and establishing co-operation in order to increase the enforcement of the law concerning the supply of alcohol to minors in clubs on the one hand, and the law concerning driving under the influence of alcohol (BAC – 0.05 per cent) on the other.

Shoshana Weiss is the Director of The Israel Society for the Prevention of Alcoholism