Fez – On April 20, the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (ESEC) in Rabat called for the recognition of addiction in its various forms as an illness eligible for medical reimbursement.
The ESEC organized a meeting entitled “Coping with addictive behaviors: a review of the situation & recommendations” and presented the main conclusions and recommendations regarding the issue of addiction.
The council stated that addiction is a phenomenon widespread in Morocco, whether related to the use of psychoactive substances (tobacco, drugs, sugar…) or addictive activities (video games, internet, gambling…).
Research data from the council revealed that there are 6 million smokers, half a million of which are underage. The numbers also showed that more than 3 million people practice gambling, and 57% of people with HCV (hepatitis C virus) regularly consume drugs.
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The council’s president Ahmed Reda Chami declared that the issue of addiction is “a serious and a complex problem that affects many sectors, and has health, economic and social impacts on individuals, families, and society as a whole.”
The ESEC noted that addiction prevention policies adopted by Morocco are in a constant struggle to solve issues like the shortage of healthcare professionals and legal approaches that stigmatize and alienate addicted people and their families.
On account of this growing issue, the council presented several recommendations and measures. The first is to recognize addictions with or without the use of substances, as illnesses eligible for medical reimbursement.
Other recommendations include earmarking a share of 10% of the state’s revenue from legal goods and services with addictive potentials like tobacco and lottery, for research and addiction care and prevention.
The country’s legal goods and services generate more than MAD 32 billion and cover 9% of tax revenues and 3% of the GDP.
ESEC President M. Chami emphasized the importance of reviewing the penal code to legally require drug users to undergo treatment as well as to toughen sanctions against drug trafficking.
He also called for setting up a national authority for technical and ethical regulation of betting and gaming companies to combat addiction.
The ESEC president concluded with an emphasis on providing necessary treatment for people struggling with addiction in prison and guaranteeing the possibility of access to care for any addicted person in the facility.
