The War on Drugs in Schools: A Matter of National Urgency
There are battles that cannot be fought with half-measures or delays. The war on drugs in our schools is one such urgent matter where political decision-making is no longer a choice, but a duty. In the face of the insidious spread of narcotics within and around schools, President Kaïs Saïed has sounded the alarm: protecting students is equivalent to protecting the future of the nation.
Drugs are not just a chemical poison; they are also a social dissolvent. They do not only destroy adolescent bodies, but also alter consciences, weaken families, and fracture the collective edifice. Where schools should be sanctuaries of knowledge, some unscrupulous networks have attempted to set up their dens of decadence. It was necessary to identify the enemy and confront it. This has now been done.
However, the originality of this approach lies in its refusal to reduce the response to its security dimension alone. Of course, patrols must be visible, constant, and deterrent. Of course, major traffickers must be tracked, identified, and neutralized. The state, in its sovereign function, must be firm. Nevertheless, public order is not enough if inner order – that of minds – remains vulnerable.
Dedicating time each day to educating students about the dangers of drugs is not an administrative detail; it is a civilizational strategy. The true antidote is not just seizing drug shipments, but also forming judgment, teaching discernment, and rehabilitating civic education as a moral compass.
The emphasis on the strategic importance of the education sector is not coincidental. A mistake in education can have consequences that last for decades; a poorly supported generation becomes a vulnerable one. The "masked illiteracy" mentioned by the Head of State – the inability to think freely despite access to words – is fertile ground for all dependencies, including narcotics. Where the mind is not armed, poison thrives.
It is now up to the relevant ministries not to let their guard down. Opening a front is a decision; maintaining it is a responsibility. Our children are not statistics or collateral damage of transnational criminal economies. They are Tunisia's promise. And any worthy policy begins by honoring its promises.
