Nearly half of Tunisian men smoke regularly, despite legislation that appears comprehensive on paper. Weak enforcement and the lack of practical alternatives highlight the limitations of the current policy.
Smoking remains a significant public health issue in Tunisia, particularly among young urban adults. While women are still a minority among smokers, trends indicate a gradual increase.
The country has adopted several stringent measures, including bans on smoking in public places, advertising restrictions, and adherence to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2010. Yet implementation faces major gaps: tobacco remains readily available, and awareness campaigns focus more on stigma than on supporting smokers.
The national anti-tobacco program offers limited access to nicotine substitutes and relies mainly on total abstinence. Experts consider this approach overly rigid, failing to address the differentiated needs of smokers. Tunisia thus lags behind in harm-reduction strategies widely used in other public health fields, such as HIV prevention or addiction treatment.
Countries like Sweden, with Snus, and the United Kingdom, through e-cigarettes, have shown that introducing less harmful alternatives can significantly reduce smoking prevalence. Dr. Mark Tyndall, an international public health expert, advocates for Tunisia to adopt a similar approach. “Providing smokers with smoke-free alternatives is a matter of health equity and social justice,” he says, while criticizing the scientific and regulatory resistance that limits access to such solutions.
Observers agree that Tunisia cannot simply copy foreign models. The challenge lies in creating a tailored regulatory framework that includes strict product control, better training for healthcare professionals, and clear scientific communication. Such an approach would offer Tunisian smokers more concrete support, based not only on prevention but also on tangible harm-reduction alternatives.
MK/sf/lb/as/APA