The president of the Tunisian Association for Education Quality, Slim Kacem, warned on Thursday, February 12, 2026, that drugs have become a major scourge directly threatening the younger generations. In an interview granted to Tunisie Numérique, he noted that this phenomenon has spread widely within educational establishments for more than a decade, particularly after 2011.
According to him, certain loosenings that emerged following the events of the revolution have contributed to weakening the educational institution, making it more vulnerable to infiltrations, whether of extremist ideologies or organized crime, especially drug trafficking.
The central role of family and school
Slim Kacem stressed the importance of the role played by the family and the educational institution in protecting children. Parents and educators must prioritize dialogue and exchange rather than moralizing discourses, highlighting the real risks that drugs can pose to the future of young people.
He also recommended presenting concrete examples of people whose promising trajectories have been broken by addiction, arguing that an abstract discourse is not enough to get the message across.
Strengthening vigilance and closing the doors to traffickers
The expert urged better securing schools to limit access to people outside these spaces. He also emphasized the need to monitor the environment of children and to keep them away from places likely to become distribution points, such as certain public spaces, cafes, restaurants, or private gyms.
Vigilance should also extend to the social circle of young people, considered one of the main factors through which drugs can enter their daily lives.
Monitoring expenditures to detect warning signs
The association’s president further urged parents to pay attention to their children’s level of spending. Traffickers, driven by profit, often target minors, hence the importance of controlling financial needs and questioning any unjustified increase in expenses.
Establishing a clear budget would not only teach children money management but also help detect potentially suspicious behaviors more quickly.
Identifying changes in behavior
Slim Kacem noted that several signs can alert parents, including unusual changes in appearance, isolation, prolonged absences from home, indifference toward those around them, or the adoption of aggressive behavior.
Finally, he stressed the need to act without delay if drug use is confirmed. Parental denial can lead to a loss of valuable time and complicate treatment, especially when dependence sets in and makes treatment more difficult.
