Sociologist Khalifa Ghorbal Warns of Alarming Rise in Drug Addiction Among Tunisian Youth
Sociologist Khalifa Ghorbal has stated that the phenomenon of drug addiction among young Tunisians has become alarming and requires accelerated investment in prevention rather than treatment. Mr. Ghorbal indicated that statistics from the National Institute of Statistics (INS) on addiction show that the number of young drug addicts has increased fivefold between 2013 and 2023, with the proportion rising from 1.3% to 8.9% of young people. Speaking to Mosaïque FM on the sidelines of a awareness conference on the theme "Facing Addiction and Reducing its Risks: A Shared Responsibility," the sociologist added that relevant studies have demonstrated that the phenomenon of addiction is widespread among young people aged 13 to 18, with the average age of those affected being 17 years and three months. Ghorbal emphasized that the dropout rate in secondary schools reaches 10.9%, which, in his opinion, creates a fertile ground for the aggravation of the addiction phenomenon among young people. He reiterated the importance of investing in prevention before treatment, particularly by integrating and rehabilitating young people in vocational training centers, estimating that the highest rates of drug addiction are found among young people who have dropped out of school and among unemployed youth.
Inadequate Security Approach
On the other hand, Hichem Hajji, a member of the National Bureau of the Tunisian Organization for Education and Family, highlighted that the security approach, despite its role in limiting drug trade, remains insufficient to reduce the phenomenon of addiction among young people. Mr. Hajji indicated that the treatment and prevention of addiction require a global community participatory action and a multidimensional national approach. He recalled that drug trade has become a factor in international politics, with some nations seeing it as a solution to settle their differences with other countries. Hajji considered that early school dropout, unemployment, and family disintegration are the main factors contributing to the spread of drug addiction among young people. He called for social supervision to limit this phenomenon, particularly through professional integration, training, and encouragement of sports practice.
