Algiers — The president of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, called at a Council of Ministers meeting he chaired Sunday, for the adoption of a comprehensive approach in the fight against drugs, starting by setting up mechanisms to curb this scourge through awareness-raising, monitoring and treatment, and by taking coercive measures and imposing the toughest penalties against drug traffickers and consumers, the Council of Ministers said in a statement.

The President of the Republic called for "the adoption of a comprehensive approach to combating drugs and psychotropic substances, starting by setting up mechanisms to curb this scourge through awareness-raising, monitoring and treatment, and by taking coercive measures and imposing the toughest penalties against drug traffickers and consumers, mainly hard drugs, to protect our young from this scourge, which is alien to our society," the statement said.

President Tebboune said that Algeria is facing an "undeclared war" by "evil forces," targeting our country "from its western and southern border," using all types of drugs to "weaken our youth and break down the scale of Algerian social values that the country strives to preserve."

The President of the Republic ordered in-depth study and debates on the national strategy and the bill on the prevention of drugs and psychotropic substances, as it is a matter of national security, the statement concluded.