Tobacco and alcohol use among Arab adults in Israel: Findings from a nationwide study

Objective This comprehensive study focuses exclusively on adult Arabs in Israel and is aimed at examining tobacco and alcohol use rates and their predictors. Methods One thousand and two hundred Arab adults were randomly sampled via cluster sampling and interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Results Forty-four per cent of respondents reported tobacco use while 39% reported alcohol use. There were notable gender gaps in use, as well as differences between Muslims and Christians. Odds of using both tobacco and alcohol increased with having a greater tendency towards risk-taking and more time spent partying. Odds of alcohol use also increased with having positive attitudes towards use, lower perceived risk and greater intention to use. Conclusions These findings add a more complete understanding to the phenomenon of tobacco and alcohol use among Arab adults in Israel and carry important implications for future research and practice. [Lawental M, Shoham M, Ron P, Azaiza F. Tobacco and alcohol use among Arab adults in Israel: Findings from a nationwide study. Drug Alcohol Rev 2014;33:327-332]