The profile of drug users in Tunisia: Implications for prevention.

BACKGROUND: Despite cultural, religious, and legal constraints on Muslims against the consumption of drugs, usage and misuse do exist. Drug addiction in Tunisia is a wide-spread problem and is destroying the lives of many individuals and families.

AIMS: To examine the socio-demographic characteristics of substance users and to identify the drugs commonly used.

METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, all the patients admitted at the addiction treatment center ''Aide et Ecoute'' in the period from January 2014 to September 2014 formed the sample of the present study.

RESULTS: Only two hundred males were found to get treatment in the addiction center for various addictions. Among them, 65.9% were not married and 59.5 % had involvement with criminal justice. The mean age was 33.32 years and the mean age for starting substance use was 17.30 years. Substance use was higher (90.6%) in less educated people (secondary or below) and in urban population (73.2%). The most common substance misused was Buprenorphine (34.8%). There was a significant relation between buprenorphine consumption and immigration p= 0.013.

CONCLUSION: Our observations point towards the vulnerability of younger age and immigrated population towards substance use and hence, it is proposed preventive health policies in this regard.