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The increase in drug use in schools is causing growing concern among public authorities. To deal with this, the Minister of National Education, Mohamed Seghir Saâdaoui, announced this Sunday the establishment of a toll-free number to report cases of students using psychotropic substances.
This initiative, which is part of a national prevention strategy, was unveiled at the launch of the national caravan to raise awareness of the dangers of drugs in schools, organized by the Ministry of Justice.
Placed under the slogan “November, a new pact towards conscious and drug-free youth”, this caravan marks the start of an intersectoral campaign aimed at protecting young people from the risks linked to addiction and strengthening vigilance in educational establishments.
Speaking from the Martyr’s Shrine (Maqam Echahid), the Minister of Education invited students to become actively involved in this preventive approach, believing that they are best placed to identify and help their classmates exposed to addiction. “This system aims to save lives and protect our children from the dangers of drugs and psychotropic substances,” underlined Mr. Saâdaoui. He also insisted on the need to strengthen security around educational establishments, recalling that the surroundings of schools are sometimes used as points of sale or consumption.
The caravan launching ceremony took place in the presence of several members of the government, the wali of Algiers, as well as representatives of constitutional institutions and security services. The Minister of Justice, Lotfi Boujemâa, who chaired the ceremony, reaffirmed the State’s desire to combat this scourge through concerted action between the different sectors.
The event, organized by the National Office for the Fight against Drugs and Drug Addiction (ONLDT), is held under the patronage of the Prime Minister and brings together numerous partners: the Ministries of the Interior, Transport, Health, National Education, Religious Affairs and Youth, as well as the National Gendarmerie, the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN), the National Observatory of Civil Society and the Red Crescent Algerian.
Extending until November 6, the caravan will travel through 17 wilayas in the country. Its objective is to reduce risky behaviors linked to the consumption of drugs and psychotropic substances, strengthening awareness, prevention and protection of students in their school and family environments.
The program includes awareness sessions, simplified conferences, the screening of short films, testimonies from former recovered drug addicts, but also educational and cultural competitions on prevention. Explanatory brochures will be distributed to students, while open dialogue spaces will allow direct exchanges between students, teachers and mental health specialists.
Prevention rather than cure
For the authorities, the fight against drugs in schools requires above all prevention and awareness-raising among younger generations. The Minister of Justice recalled that this initiative is part of an overall national strategy, aimed at protecting Algerian youth and preserving the educational environment from any form of deviance or marginalization.
In continuation of the efforts undertaken to stem the consumption and trafficking of narcotics, Algeria, it should be remembered, has considerably toughened its legislative system with the entry into force of Law No. 25-03 of 1er July 2025.
This new law introduces several new measures. Article 5 bis specifies in particular that screening tests become compulsory in the files of candidates for recruitment competitions within the public service, establishments of general interest, as well as in private institutions open to the public.
But the scope of the text goes well beyond the professional world. The legislator also wanted to extend prevention to the educational and training environment. Article 5 bis 10 thus stipulates that periodic medical examinations of students may include early detection analyzes for the consumption of narcotics or psychotropic substances.
This approach marks a turning point in national drug control policy, favoring prevention and medical care rather than repression. In the event of a positive test, no legal sanction is provided: priority is given to therapeutic support and reintegration, with a view to care and rehabilitation, rather than stigmatization or criminalization.