NCJ Number
139684
Journal
Journal of Drug Education Volume: 22 Issue: 3 Dated: (1992) Pages: 253-260
Date Published
1992
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Data was obtained from 553 Jewish, Moslem, and Christian teachers in the north of Israel during the spring of 1991 to investigate their perception of alcoholism.
Abstract
Most of the teachers (75 percent) agreed that alcoholism is an illness. A positive attitude decreased from Jews (81 percent) to Moslems (77 percent) and to Christians (60 percent). The teachers showed less support for the three items that contradict a "disease concept" of alcoholism and belong to a "moral concept." The teachers revealed inconsistent attitudes about the status of alcoholism as a disease among teachers of all three religions. A considerable proportion of teachers who agreed that alcoholism was an illness also accepted statements identifying alcoholism as a moral concern. Teachers with a high school education only tended to agree that alcoholism is a moral problem. The more often respondents drink or the larger quantities they consume, the less they support alcoholism as an illness. Women agree more than men in all three religious groups that alcoholism is an illness. Jewish teachers tended to disagree to alcoholism as a moral issue; Moslem and Christian teachers tended to agree. Jewish and Moslem teachers tended to agree tht alcoholism is a disease, but Christians tended to disagree. 2 tables and 21 references