Conference to Address Growing Drug Problem among Youth in Algeria Held

Drug use is a problem in Algeria. According to a report in the Magharebia, nearly half of all high school students have used drugs. This finding is from a new report from the National Office for the Fight Against Drug Addiction.

Of these young users, 8 percent are women. Females also account for 13 percent of drug users within the university student population. The February 8th study showed the number of adolescent drug users grew from 35 percent in 2007 to 45 percent in 2008.

The Wedadia Association for Combating Social Problems organized a two-day conference for anti-drug activists in Algiers to discuss these new findings and strategies to eliminate the blight of drug addiction in Algeria.

"We cannot hope to redress the problem of drug use or addiction in general without direct communication, which should reveal the actual reasons behind the aggravated social problems in Algerian society," the Algerian Organization of Youth Care Associations chief, Mr. Obaidat, said at a post-conference press briefing.

Obaidat called for the expansion of the 2007 National Plan for Monitoring and Protection to uncover the reasons behind the spike in drug use. He also announced his group’s new campaign to fight drugs and addiction: "Let Us Save One Youth through Another".

"We are hoping that 2010 will be crowned by launching a national plan, because the phenomenon of drug addiction that is daily encroaching on adolescents and youths requires extensive field efforts" across all Algerian provinces, he added.

Dr. A. Messaoudi of the Oued Aïssi psychiatric hospital, called for a multi-faceted approach to help reintegrate adolescents in society as drug free. He believes that through strict punishment of the promoters of these poisons that the spread of use and addiction would be reduced.