Nearly 5% of Tunisians use drugs, according to a ministerial estimate that highlights the lack of up-to-date data and the shortcomings of the public support system.
Drug use primarily affects people aged 15 to 40, stated Dr. Nabil Ben Salah, an addiction and toxicology specialist in charge of the addiction file at the Tunisian Ministry of Health.
Speaking on August 19 on national radio, he acknowledged that Tunisia currently lacks recent statistics to accurately determine the number of users or dependent individuals.
The reported rate should therefore be interpreted with caution.
No details were provided regarding its calculation method, the period studied, the substances considered, or the distinction between occasional use, problematic use, and dependence.
A new national survey is scheduled to be conducted between the end of 2026 and the beginning of 2027, leaving health authorities without a sufficiently precise diagnosis to adapt their prevention and treatment policies until then.
The capacity to provide care appears limited given the perceived scale of the problem. The Jebel Oust center monitors approximately 1,300 patients, but only ten are housed there.
The Tanit center, for its part, provides daily support to nearly 70 women, combining medical and psychological care with vocational training to facilitate their reintegration. These figures, however, do not allow for an assessment of the actual coverage of needs nationwide.
Dr. Ben Salah reiterated that treatment is based first on medical and psychological support, followed by regular monitoring aimed at gradually reducing consumption. He also emphasised that a relapse should not be punished or considered a definitive failure, but rather a possible step in the therapeutic process requiring continued care.
Access to this care remains hampered by its cost. Public consultations available in several governorates are not free and are not covered by social security, as addiction is not recognised as an illness under this system.
This situation exposes the most vulnerable patients to the risk of abandoning treatment and contradicts the medical approach advocated by specialists.
The upcoming study will therefore not be sufficient to address the shortcomings of the system. The credibility of Tunisian policy will also depend on the institutional recognition of addiction as a
pathology, the expansion of social security coverage, the strengthening of regional structures, and prevention efforts targeting particularly vulnerable youth.
MK/AK/Sf/fss/as/APA