The Health Ministry, on Saturday, announced the launch of the 2021-2025 national strategy for prevention, harm reduction and treatment of psychoactive substances use in Society and in prisons.

A relevant meeting was organised by the Medical University of Tunis, as part of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

The strategy was developed by the Ministries of Health and Justice, in cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Tunisia, with the participation of relevant national bodies and institutions, representatives of civil society and experts from European countries.

Chair of the technical committee to combat drug abuse and addiction at the Health Ministry Nabil Bensalah told TAP this strategy is based on 6 pillars.

The first provides for promoting health and preventing drug addiction, while the second relates to reducing the harm resulting from drug abuse through awareness of the effects of drugs on the body.

The third pillar is based on treating drug addiction through creating 6 care centres, two of which are already operational at Al Razi Psychiatric and Neurological Hospital in Manouba and at the Hedi Chaker Hospital in Sfax.

The rest of the centres are being created and lack medics paramedics specialised in addiction medicine.

The fourth pillar of this new strategy consists in strengthening the role of the family, raising its awareness and guiding it in the care for addicts.

The fifth aims to create an appropriate legal and political environment to secure adequate services, Bensalah added, emphasising the need to change repressive laws that do not encourage the addict to access treatment services for fear of deprivation of freedom.

The sixth and final pillar of this strategy provides for carrying out surveys in order to provide accurate data.

Health Minister Faouzi Mehdi, for his part, said there are two approaches to deal with the issue of drug addiction: the security approach, which considers it a crime, and the medical approach, which considers it a chronic disease.

The Ministry is working with the Ministries of Justice, Social Affairs and the Interior to treat addicts as patients, by setting up medical-psycho-social care services.

He stressed the need to support curative and preventive care through dialogue within the family, to strengthen the role of civil society and to raise awareness of the importance of seeking treatment.

The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is observed on June 26. It aims to raise awareness of the risks of using these substances.

Source: TAP News Agency