Ogun First Lady leads campaign against drug abuse, calls for joint efforts

First Lady of Ogun State, Mrs Bamidele Abiodun, has called for collective efforts to achieve drugs – free society, lamenting that many of the nation’s youths are into illicit use of drugs.

Mrs. Abiodun  made the call at a Town Hall Meeting organised by her office, Ajose Foundation and Ogun State Drug Control Committee, Ministry of Health (OSDCC) to  commemorate this year’s United Nations Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

Speaking on the commemoration with the theme “Share Facts on Drugs, Save Lives” at the Oba’s Complex, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta at the weekend,  she harped on the need to focus on information and communication, given the power of the social media in shaping the minds of young people.

She noted that the social media mirror the actions of their peers online and model their lives after celebrities that they see in music videos and movies.

“Many of these platforms are full of depictions of drug use which is linked to riches and a fashionable lifestyle. The duty of policy makers is to use these platforms to creatively communicate facts about drugs and the danger it poses to the lives of those who engage in their use. We need to leverage the power of the media to communicate a powerful message on the illicit drugs.

“One of the aims of this year’s theme of sharing facts is also to combat misinformation about drug use. There are many who think that certain drugs give them boldness and a false sense of confidence. The effect of this is that many of our youths, some as young as 13 to 15 years of age, buy into these lies and start taking drugs early and they become drug addicts even before age 20. Now is the time to focus on more efficient means of reaching our people where they are and in the language they understand,” she said.

The First Lady revealed that one of the focus areas of her pet project, Ajose Foundation, centred on children and youths at risk, who she said,  deal with common problems associated with growing up.

In her address, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, said some 35 million people were estimated to suffer from drug use disorders according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) survey 2018 noting that youths are the most vulnerable.