Tunisia Faces Rising Addiction Rates Among Youth
According to Dr. Nabil Ben Saleh, the official in charge of addiction at the Ministry of Health, approximately 25% of Tunisians suffer from addiction.
Significant Increase in Drug Consumption Among Adolescents
A 2021 study revealed a sharp rise in the consumption of drugs such as cannabis and ecstasy among young people aged 15 to 17. During a radio interview, Dr. Ben Saleh specified that cannabis use in this age group increased from 1.5% to 8%, while ecstasy use multiplied by 7. The rate of tobacco dependence is also high, ranging from 25% to 30%. He emphasized that addiction can set in from the first consumption. Dr. Ben Saleh explained that parents can detect signs of addiction through changes in their children's behavior, such as withdrawal, isolation, declining grades, or lack of concentration.
Efforts to Combat Addiction
To address this issue, the Ministry of Health is strengthening its care networks. Given that 40% to 50% of people with addiction also suffer from psychiatric disorders, a specialization in addiction medicine has been created in medical faculties. Currently, 350 specialists are graduated in this field in Tunisia.
Tunisia currently has five addiction treatment clinics located in:
- Djebel El Oust
- Razi Hospital
- Montfleury Center
- Mahdia
- Sfax
New openings are planned, including:
- A clinic in Monastir on November 1st
- A clinic in Gafsa in the coming months
- A clinic in El Kef
Dr. Ben Saleh also announced the expansion of the Sfax clinic and the Djebel El Oust center, which receives between 350 and 370 new patients per year. He highlighted that follow-up care can be long, sometimes up to 10 years, and that the risk of relapse is always present.
Regarding the cost of care, Dr. Ben Saleh specified that a consultation in a public hospital costs 10 dinars, while monthly hospitalization costs 900 dinars. However, he noted that 80% of cases do not require hospitalization.
He also emphasized that, according to Tunisian law, addiction is considered a crime, and for now, it is not covered by social security funds as a disease.
