The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Drug abuse

  • The addiction challenge

    Nigeria’s trajectory seems to be ascending an undulating and precarious curve. In the last year, reports of cases of drug abuse and psychiatric problems have been on the increase. First was the alarm over the abuse of codeine by youths, especially in the Northern part of the country. The whistle was blown by an investigative report by the BBC.

    A few months after the codeine report, another drug, Tramadol, was reported to be widely, if not wildly abused. As if a proof was needed, the seizure was announced of more than a dozen container loads of the highly sensitive prescription drug at the Apapa Port, Lagos. The last time we checked, investigation was still on-going as to how such an outrageous quantity of opioid found its way into the country.

    Then last week, the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Elimination of Drug Abuse (PACEDA) announced that it was working on a proposal that will guide the introduction of random drug tests on employees, students and other persons suspected of using illegal drugs, whether in private or public places.

    Chairman of the committee, Brigadier-Gen. Buba Marwa (retd) had said that the essence of the committee was to identify those that needed help and other forms of assistance and not to criminalise anyone. He lamented the dearth of facilities and personnel to handle cases of drug addiction and other mental illnesses. He also observed that majority of the afflicted are suffering in silence.

    Laudable as the proposed policy may appear, we feel that governments at all levels and the relevant agencies charged with the health of the citizenry have not done very well to prevent the epidemic of drug addiction and the resultant psycho-social crises the country is currently experiencing. Even more troubling is the prospect of a near and distant future blurred and ominous.

    We know that resort to drugs as an elixir of any sort has its roots in ignorance, among other causes. The menace itself is the seed that germinates and which every branch and every leaf thereof portend nothing but socio-economic chaos for the country. The insecurity in the land, the insurgencies, the militancy, the social unrest, the kidnappings and robberies are all offshoots of various levels of drug addiction and substance abuse.

    While we welcome the setting up of PACEDA and its intended role in the fight against drug addiction, we suggest that a more fundamental and comprehensive action must be taken to stem the tendency of the youths, the most vital demographic of any nation, to resort to the use of drugs of any type. Statistics has shown that there is a correlation between illiteracy and the abuse of drugs amongst the youths, especially in Nigeria.

    Illiteracy and ignorance appear to be at the root of most social ills. Most uneducated parents would have limitations in the field of child upbringing. When a child lacks the most fundamental values in a fast changing world, the tendency to pick up habits from the streets is high.

    We therefore urge PACEDA and governments at all levels to draw up a comprehensive blueprint to tackle this menace. This is apart from prioritising formal education and relentless enlightenment programmes.

    There must also be a re-evaluation of policies to integrate skill acquisition and sports into the education curriculum so that those who cannot cope with core academics can acquire viable skills or develop their sporting talents. The country must begin to worry about her huge and fast growing population. An unmanaged population is bound to continue to throw up all manner of socio-economic challenges.

    PACEDA has an onerous task to strive to eliminate the virus instead of seeking to treat the ailment. Drug addiction no doubt portends serious deleterious consequences to the health of any nation.

  • Yaba psychiatric hospital trains medics on drug abuse

    The Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, has revved up activities to combat the rising scourge of drug and substance abuse ravaging the country. One of them is training and certification in drug and substance abuse treatment and management for all categories of medical professionals, reports Adekunle Yusuf.

    In a bid to arrest the raging drug abuse crisis in the country, the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital (FNPH), Yaba, has trained more than 100 healthcare professionals in the field of addiction management and treatment. Medical Director of FNPH, Dr. OluwayemiOgun, said the initiative became necessary because drug and substance abuse has reached an epidemic dimension in the country, especially among the young population.

    Last year, the hospital signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a United States of America Department of State-funded Colombo Plan Drugs Advisory Programme (DAP), making FNPH the first DAP training centre in Nigeria. The MoU saddled the hospital with a responsibility of providing evidence-based training courses for Nigerian healthcare professionals with a view to reinforcing the global fight against the deadly and growing scourge of drug and substance abuse in Nigeria.

    Since the MoU was signed, 95 healthcare professionals at different stages of the course have been trained, Dr. Ogun disclosed. She also added that the hospital has also fully sponsored 31 officers of the Nigerian Prison Service in order to build capacity in the field of addiction treatment; while 70 professionals have been certified at different stages of the US credentialing examination in Nigeria in 2018 to become International Certified Addiction Professionals (ICAP I & II).

    And to ensure the newly-certified professionals don’t rest on their oars but continue to put their knowledge to use in the field of addiction services, the hospital also launched the Lagos Against Drug Abuse Campaign (LADAC). “Researches in the field of substance use have shown that the ways to combat this menace in the community fall into three different evidence-based prevention interventions levels: community mobilisation, environmental strategies, and school-based prevention education intervention.

    “The first two strategies involve the government working with the experts to formulate and enforce laws e.g. no selling of alcohol or other substances of abuse to people under the age of 18 years; drug free school environment and incorporating dangers of use of substances of abuse into school curriculum,” she said.

    “As we can see, this evidence-based approach of substance use prevention involves multi-sectoral and interdisciplinary approach. Thus, there is need for the hospital to collaborate with other sister agencies in this fight to save the future of this nation. This is the reason we have called in other organisations like Christ Against Drug Abuse Ministry, Epe, Lagos; Wellspring Rehabilitation Center, Isheri–Olowora, Lagos; House of Joy Rehabilitation Centre, Surulere, Lagos; and Aruka Centre, Port Harcourt. Other organisations we are collaborating with are Nigerian Prison Service,  House, to mention a few. And we still want many others to collaborate with.”

    In her address before presenting certificates to the newly-certified experts in addiction and substance abuse, Mrs. BolanleAmbode, who was the guest of honour, lauded the hospital management for the “good work of rescuing our country from a crisis destroying our young generation.” Mrs. Ambode, represented by Mrs. Kemi Durosinmi-Eti, promised to encourage Lagos State ministries and departments charged with public health and child welfare to partner and seek synergy with FNPH, adding that collaboration is needed to combat the scourge. The governor’s wife, who said she is passionate about children issues and welfare, however concluded that the fight against drug abuse should not be left to the government alone. Urging parents not to shirk their responsibilities, she advised parents to always monitor their wards very well so as not to lose them to dangerous habits such as drugs usage.

    All available evidence suggests clearly that addiction crisis is indeed on the rise in the country. While presenting the 2018 annual report of FNPH, Dr. Ogun revealed that her hospital recorded 50 percent increase in the number of patients treated for drug and substance abuse this year.The hospital disclosed further that it recorded a 22 percent increase in the number of new patients with various forms of mental disorders, rising from 3,591 in 2017 to 4, 376 in 2018. Breaking down the numbers, she said the total number of patients with drug and substance abuse-related cases seen in the hospital rose from 157 in 2017 to 235 in the current year.Lamenting that the issue of drug abuse has reached epidemic level, she said the hospital has concluded arrangement to open its Oshodi Annex to ensure that as many Nigerians with such cases receive needed medical attention.

    Also, at a public debate and talk on drug abuse organised by the FNPH for secondary school students in Lagos last year, Dr.Ogun, a consultant child psychiatrist, identified high availability of drugs in the communities and lack of knowledge on what to do by parents and teachers as factors contributing to the menace. The solution to the problem of drug abuse in adolescent, she said, would be more of sensitisation by psychiatrists and other public health workers. “Drug abuse is ravaging our youths and governments should do more to address the situation. No place is safe from drugs in our communities; the drugs are sold almost everywhere and parents and teachers do not know what to do to curb the menace.Many youths in the country are aware of drugs, but the more we educate them on the consequences of abusing drugs, the more they get impacted.As a child psychiatrist, I know the number of parents who visit us and drop out from the university; it is indeed a menace.It is high time we went out to campaign against this menace to prevent our young ones from breaking down,” she advised.

    Established in 1907 by the British colonial masters from the derelict of the then railway station, FNPH, which started as an asylum, has grown to become a leading specialist mental health hospital providing evidence-based mental health services to the people of Lagos State and its environs. Although situated in Lagos to serve about 22 million people, the hospital has grown its frontiers by not only providing treatment services, but all-encompassing mental health services, which include mental health prevention and education, treatment and research and rehabilitation services to all Nigerians.

     

     

  • ‘Drug abuse, cultism can lure youths into crime’

    YOUTHS have been urged to shun drugs, and cultism to avoid being lured into crime.

    The Divisional Crime Officer (DCO), Iju Police Division, Gbadebo Faseki, a Superintendent of Police (SP), gave the advice at a lecture held by three groups at Ijaiye-Ifako Local Government Area Office, Lagos on how to tackle drug abuse and cultism in Ifako-Ijaiye area of Lagos.

    The groups are Nigeria Policing Programme (NPP), Community Safety Partnership (CSP), Iju and Police Community Relation Committee (PCRC).

    Faseki said those who take drugs were prone to being lured into crime. Specifically, he warned youths against making friends with drug addicts and cultists, saying: ‘’Those who commit crimes are liable to punishment. Don’t indulge yourself in drug abuse because through it you could be lured into crime. Run away from drug takers.’’

     Earlier, as part of the two-day event, the groups, led by the NPP Lagos Intervention Officer Mrs Ivy Basil-Ofili; a PCRC member, Jude Ndoh and CSP Chairman Sir Felix Usalo, kicked off a campaign from the Police Station near Iju Waterworks, marched through the Agege-Ishaga-Iju road and terminated it at the council Area office on Bola Ahmed Tinubu road.

    They explained that the event was aimed at reducing the menace of drug abuse cultism in the area, adding that the sensitisation has a key role to play on the issue in view of the forthcoming general elections.

    They were accompanied by pupils of Adeola Memorial College and Olu Abiodun High School, among other associations.

    The council Chairman Apostle Olorutoba Oke, whose local government partnered the groups, expressed satisfaction with the team for a good job. He emphasised the danger posed by drug abuse to the society.

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    He cited the late President Nnamdi Azikiwe and the late Premier of Western Region Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who, as youths, travelled abroad to study and returned home with their degrees, without any problem.

    He told the youth that any one destined to great could have his life destroyed by drugs and that they should take Azikiwe and Awolowo as their role models.

    He said a drug addict would suffer from mental imbalance and would never be able to hold on to its own. ‘’I never went into drugs. That is why I can stand before you today,’’ he added.

    Oke urged the youth to run away from drugs. ‘’When you see drugs, run, run, run,’’ council chief counselled.

  • Clamping down on drug abuse

    Rising substance and drugs abuse in the country last week Monday engaged the attention of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

    Substance and drugs abuse, which has been described as a social ill, involves the use of psychoactic hard drugs among many young Nigerians.

    Such substance abuse include the use of whitish end of lizard dung, hydrogen sulphide gas (sewer gas), seed of Zakami, petrol, glue or rubber solutions, nail polish cleaners, codeine, pawpaw leaves and seed, Moringa (Zogale) leaves, tear gas, gun powder, benylin, shisha, mandara (Kafra) and gutter from toilet for nonconventional purpose.Also having adverse consequences in the lives of young Nigerians are cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, coffee, colanut, cocaine, heroin, amphetamine, morphine, ephedrine, madras, caffeine, barbiturates and methamphetamine.

    Such abuse is said to have the power to reduce the quality of lives of the users and resulting in depreciation of their social interaction and societal relevance over time.

    Irrespective of the social status of the user, whether a university professor or state governor, abuse of substance or hard drugs can bring them down to the level of a carpenter or mechanic who is also on drugs.

    Such substance will reduce them to such low level until they become a scum to the society.

    Professionals have also said that such abuses rewires circuitry of the brain in a semi-permanent way, especially at the frontal lobe, which is the part of the brain responsible for planning, judgment and other higher executive decisions.

    Rather than engaging in positive thinking, everything the brain will be thinking about after drug abuse will be how to obtain more psychoactive drugs in order to continuously get the ‘high’ feelings.

    The consequences of such substance and drug abuse may vary from one person to the other.

    According to experts in the field, it is not everybody who takes such substance or drug for the first time become addicted, not every user who gets addicted requires hospitalisation, and not every user who gets hospitalised recovers from it.

    Besides several physical and mental health consequences of such abuse, the social economic and economic impact are enormous.

    A very common behaviour of drugs and substance abusers is that such a person won’t do well in school or may find it difficult to hold down a job.

    He or she may start stealing, keeping bad company and also end up having a forensic case.

    At the end of the day, such substance user who was destined to be a goal getter, will end up becoming a nuisance and fail in his or her life goals.

    Substance and drugs abuse in Nigeria is believed to be majorly due to lack of awareness of the inherent dangers of drug abuse.

    Today, more young Nigerians are deploying their energies to unveiling new sources of getting high.

    Many studies have shown the alarming incidence of drug abuse among secondary school students in Nigeria, which in most cases have led to confrontation between students and school administrators.

    According to a 2014 report by the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Kano was ahead of the remaining 35 states and the FCT in terms of drug convictions.

    The National Baseline Youth Survey report of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in 2012 surveyed 46,836 young people with criminal convictions and found that 75.5% were male and the remaining 24.5% were female.

    Among the 32 different crimes committed, marijuana (Indian hemp) smoking had the highest figure, representing 15.7% of the convictions.

    The survey also put Kano top of the country in terms of the number of drug abusers – 37% of the population.

    But over five years after that report, the use of nonconventional substances is said to have increased exponentially and threatening the social fabric of the society.

    It is now estimated that more than 500,000 bottles of codeine are consumed by young Nigerians across the country on a daily basis.

    The same estimate goes for the intake of tramadol, rohypnol, marijuana and other opioids, which is alarmingly destroying families.

    Worried by the ugly trend, especially in the North, the wife of the President, Dr. (Mrs.) Aisha Muhammadu Buhari during a visit to Kano, declared that many Northern youths, including women, were wasting away their lives due to drug abuse.

    Also Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, seized more than five tons of Benilyn and traced the item origination to be Onitsha Market in Anambra State.

    Further studies have also shown that drugs and substance abuse is no longer the exclusive preserve of the northern part of the country.

    In Abuja, the nation’s capital, the drugs of choice according to reports are heroin, methamphetamine (crystal meth), cocaine, Rohypnol (also known as the ‘date rape pill’) and Viagra (‘the blue pill’).

    Reports showed that there is now significant increase in the use of substance and drugs by young Niger Deltans between the ages of 14 and 30.

    They also showed that the South West and the South East, like other parts of the country, have had worrisome dimensions of substance and drug abuse.

    To suppress or eliminate drugs and substance abuse in the country, the Federal Government in 1989 established the NDLEA.

    But funding challenges among other factors are said to have worked against the agency from attaining the goal.

    With the risk of the abuses becoming an epidemic, the Buhari administration could no longer fold its arms but take a decisive step.

    The President last week Monday inaugurated a two-tier intervention structure consists of the High Level Steering Committee and the Presidential Advisory Committee.

    Buhari said: “It is our collective national prayer that the labours of heroes past shall never be in vain in our time and in the foreseeable future. The need for collective action to help those enslaved by drug abuse to have a new life and the view to reduce the demand for drugs by reducing its abuse and addiction is more urgent now than ever before.

    “The use and abuse of drugs by adolescents have become one of the most disturbing health phenomena in Nigeria and other parts of the world. Many schools, growing adolescents experience mental health issues, either temporarily or for a long period of time. Some become insane, cannot remain in school and they eventually drop out.

    “Drug and alcohol abuse are also major occupational hazards among Nigerian workers, professional, notably, drivers, which contribute to making Nigerian particularly dangerous.

    “The social consequences are equally numerous, including school drop outs, cultism, violence, armed robbery and general lawlessness. This is a situation of emergency and we face and address it as such,” he stated.

    Only time will really tell if the new committees and the current efforts will really make any meaningful impact towards changing the ugly trend of drug and substance abuse in the country.

    But it is also expected that the concerned government agencies like NDLEA will be properly funded to carry out their statutory roles.

    It’s also time for faith-based organizations and other bodies to be fully brought into the fight against substance and drugs abuse in the country.

  • Psychiatrist raises alarm over drug abuse in Adamawa

    Dr Marcus Vandi, Head of Psychiatric Unit, Yola Specialist Hospital, Adamawa, has raised alarm over the increasing rate of drug abuse among youths in the state.

    Vandi, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Yola, expressed concern over the increasing rate of drug abuse among different age groups.

    According to him, the hospital admits over 100 cases with mental and other related health issues.

    ”The use of psychoactive drugs especially among youths, is becoming an issue of concern.

    ”On daily basis, the hospital receives between three to five mental cases mostly related to drug abuse.”

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    He said that almost all the patients were males between ages 13 and 55.

    Vandi advised parents to inculcate good moral upbringing in their children, to enable them to stay away from drugs.

    He said that the hospital lacked modern equipment and adequate personnel and urged the state and Federal Government to support the hospital in these areas. (NAN)

  • Drug Abuse: Niger Govt task parents child upbringing

    The Niger Government has urged parents to monitor their teenage children against drug abuse in order to reduce crimes in the society.

    The state Commissioner for Education, Hajiya Fatima Madugu, made the call during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Minna.

    Madugu said that it was wrong and dangerous for parents to leave their children and wards’ surveillance solely to teachers and house helps.

    She therefore advised parents and guardians to pay close attention to their children by knowing their friends and acquaintances.

    “It is harmful for parents to allow any lad to be a friend to their children or ward; I say this because every child has different background, and they come along with different traits to school.

    “This is why parents should monitor their children and wards by going as far as searching their school bags occasionally, and even their pockets, to know what content they have there,” she said.

    She noted that peer group had a lot of negative and positive influences, urging parents to be mindful of such influences which could be harmful to them and the society at large.

    “It is a necessity for parents to instill discipline of no to self medication to their children.

    “Parents should not allow their children or wards take drugs indiscriminately; rather, they should be in the know of any medication,” she said.

    The commissioner also called on parents to sharpen their thinking skills, to enable them understand promptly tact their children might exhibit to hide certain clandestine behaviours. (NAN)

  • Doctors kick against drug abuse

    Islamic Medical Practitioners Association of Nigeria (IMPAN), Lagos State chapter, has organised a workshop on the menace of drug addiction.

    The workshop, held at the Pavilion Hall of the National Orthopaedic Hospital, (NOH) Igbobi, Lagos, was organised in conjunction with Green Crescent Health Development Initiative.

    Speaking at the event with the theme: ”Issues in understanding, communicating and preventing addiction”, NOH Managing Director Dr. Mustapha Alimi described the rising cases of drug addiction as worrisome.

    Alimi, who is also the chairman of IMPAN in Lagos State, said the need to curb the menace necessitated the training.

    He said: ”Hardly do we have any street in Lagos Mainland where alcohol is not freely sold. Even to the underage people, alcohol and cheap drugs such as tramadol are freely sold to them and we are all exposed to this.

    ”In the North, there is high addiction rate among women, who are predominantly Muslims. Islam is an expressive religion with moderation. Therefore, in trying to be true Muslims we have to balance the way we moderate our children; not only by telling them to run away from drugs, but also by explaining to them the implications of drug addiction.”

    The Consultant Psychiatric at Neuro Psychiatric Hospital, Kaduna State, Dr. Tajudeen Abiola, said in his keynote address that ”addiction means a long lasting abuse of the brain. When a person continuously uses hard drugs, it becomes serial addiction and an individual’s ability to stop the abuse becomes difficult.”

    He said: ”Drug abuse and addiction can lead to concentration of heavy metals, memory loss, skin rashes, joint stiffness digestion problems, cold feet and heat problems, among others.”

  • ‘85% of mad people in Nigeria are youths’

    Dr Aliyu Abubakar of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria, has said that the youths account for about 85 per cent of mad people in Nigeria.

    Abubakar made the remark in a paper he presented at a sensitisation workshop for youths organised by Bizara Youth Development Association in Zaria Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the paper is entitled: “Drug Abuse in Nigeria: Causes, Effects and Solutions.”

    Abubakar said: “According to a recent study, 85 per cent of mad people in Nigeria are youths within the age bracket of 18-38 years.

    “The major cause of mental challenge in Nigeria has gone beyond drug-abuse as the youths now inhale lizard feces, putting their noses into pit toilets, smoking matches, smoking dried horse feces and mixing lizard feces with dye powder.

    “Drug abuse disorder is a common problem affecting about 5 per cent of the of the world population with an estimated 10.2 per cent in the USA.”

    He recalled that in Nigeria, it was recently reported that about three million bottles of cough syrup containing codeine is consumed daily in Kano State and about six million bottles consumed in the North-West.

    Abubakar added that in 2016, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency reported that about 40 per cent of Nigerian youths engaged in drug-abuse.

    The medical doctor stressed that the consequences of drug-abuse include mental disorder, liver cirrhosis, lethargy and cardiovascular disorder among others.

    Abubakar added those those abusing drugs mostly drop out of school, engage in cultism, violence, arm-robbery, thuggery, rape, lawlessness, murders and are culturally disorientated.

    Read Also: Desist from illicit drugs, sex, youths told

    In his speech, the Chairman, Bizara Youth Development Association, Malam Yahaya Nuhu advised parents to draw their children closer to monitor their movement and those they relate with.

    He advised government to introduce stiffer penalties against drug-dealers, fish them out and punish them accordingly.

    Nuhu advised the youths to be cautious of peer group influence and always ensure that they serve as worthy ambassadors of their families and communities.

    “Members of the society also have a role to play towards curbing the menace the of drug-abuse, especially by monitoring activities of the youths.

    “Additionally, community members can advise parents where necessary, and also supply vital information to relevant authorities for prompt action.”

  • When Lagos kicked against drug abuse 

    The revelation by one of the suspects in the Offa robbery incident in Kwara State that they took Tramadol and other hard drugs before embarking on the killing-spree was not only worrisome but further brings to fore the prevalence of drug abuse among the young generation and the ripple effects which the dastardly practice is capable of having on the larger population.

    To say that this increasing trend of drug misuse calls for action from concerned authorities is restating the obvious and this is why Lagos State has over the years remained at the forefront of initiating ideas that and concepts tailored towards addressing germane areas of public interest. The recent launch of a rigorous campaign recently by the state government against the prevalence of drug abuse is a pointer to this fact and the campaign could not have come at a better time considering the need to forestall further damages arising from drug abuse.

    Confirming the alarming rate of drug abuse across the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) gave an analysis that about 76.3 million people struggle with alcohol use disorders contributing to 1.8 million deaths per year. The United Nations reported that around 185 million people globally over the age of 15 were consuming drugs by the end of the twentieth century.

    It is in order to stem the increasing trend of this social malady that the Lagos State government through its Ministry of Youth and Social Development recently flagged off the Lagos State Kicks Against Drug Abuse (LASKADA) initiative to complement other such existing government’s efforts towards tackling drug abuse in the state.

    The initiative hinges upon a tripod approach comprising events, engagements with stakeholders and awareness campaign. The campaign started with a 1,000-man walk against drug abuse involving top government functionaries actively took part. With regards to awareness campaign, there are already series of activities on various platforms to ensure that the message gets to the targeted audience.

    Faith based organisations, traditional bodies, road transport workers, the political class, NDLEA, youth organisations; NGOs, the media and other critical stakeholders were engaged in this campaign with a view to drastically reducing the rate of drug abuse in the state.  Specifically, religious leaders in churches and mosques were told to set aside a day of worship to sermonize to worshippers on the prevalence and effect of drug abuse through the power of the pulpit and minbar respectively.

    The Ministry of Youth and Social Development is also currently working hard with other stakeholders to begin the school and community based sensitization. This will start as soon as the committee that has been set up to drive it is inaugurated. It needs to be stressed that the committee comprises both public and corporate stakeholders.

    For obvious reason, the campaign’s main target is the youth who are most vulnerable when it comes to drug abuse and other related matters. Without a doubt, the youth represents the largest population in Nigeria and is, therefore, considered the most susceptible group as far as drug and issues are concerned.

    A recent United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Report shows that the age of first use in the country is 10-29 years. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has expressed concern over the increasing level of drug abuse and drug trafficking among Nigerian youths. According to the NDLEA, the situation had been worsened by the affordability of substance of abuse such as cough syrups, lizard wastes, gums and cannabis sativa popularly known as Indian hemp. Considering the delicate and sensitive position of the youth within the society, drug addiction among them remains a major threat to national growth and development.

    The ingenuity introduced into substance misuse and abuse with complex mixtures, experimentation and new discoveries among young people should be a source of great concern to any people oriented government. Youth involvement in this maladaptive and anti-social behaviour would, no doubt, aggravate their involvement in crimes such as robbery, stealing, kidnapping, cybercrime, rape, domestic violence, murder, suicide, among others.

    Currently, the state government has enlisted the female football superstar, AsisatOsoala, current African Female Footballer of the Year as ambassador in the campaign against drug abuse. This move is quite strategic because of the erroneous notion among the youths that without drug use, success cannot be attained in the fields of sports and entertainment. Thus, it is expected that the involvement of an accomplished superstar of Osoalacalibre in the campaign would clearly help drive home this point. It is hoped that more superstars in the sports, arts and entertainment industry would come on board this laudable project.

    Other initiatives that have earlier been put in place by the state government to deal with the scourge of drug abuse include the establishment of youth-friendly centres in all the Local Government Areas as well as Local Government Development Areas (LCDAs) to serve as venue for relaxation and recreation and to further engage the youth in productive venture so that the menace of drug abuse could be drastically eradicated. Establishment of drug dependent rehabilitation centre by the state government equally gives support to youths who are addicted to drugs.

    In order to ensure that the various commitments of the state government in tackling drug abuse are not in vain, other stakeholders need to join hands with the government to put up a common front against this scourge.  Environmental influence, especially during childhood, is a very important factor in drug addiction. Parents or older family members who abuse alcohol or drugs, or who engage in criminal behaviour, can increase children’s risks of developing their own drug problems. Friends and acquaintances can also have an increasingly strong influence during adolescence.

    Also, parents and guardians need to demonstrate exemplary conducts that would inculcate the right moral values in their children. Equally, parents must spend more time with their children to observe their various developmental stages with keen interest with a view to ensuring that any bad habit noticed in them are swiftly nipped in the bud before they become too complicated.

    Undue struggles for economic survival should not be a justification for parents to neglect their natural role in the proper of upbringing of their children. Of what essence is a family’s financial solidity if the children are not properly brought up? It is only when parents spend ample time with their children that they could really notice negative vices and in traits in them and quickly nip such in the bud.

    In addition, the NDLEA and other similar law enforcement agencies must step up the clampdown on the production and illicit trafficking of banned substances. As long as these substances remain in circulation, the youths will always be tempted into consuming them. Given the enormity of the damage of drug addiction to mankind, no effort should be spared to curb its menace.

     

    • Quodus wrote in from Lagos.

  • Breaking the jaws of drug abuse

    The ongoing International Youth Camp (IYC), with the theme ‘Awakening Humanity in Youth and Fostering Generational Z Leaders’, organised by the Nigerian Red Cross, is targeted at combating drug abuse. The camping exercise, which started August 26, is ending today September 2 at the Resettlement Camp, Igando, in Ikotun-Igando Local Council Development Area (LCDA) Lagos State. This year’s edition of the camp is somewhat timely coinciding with the national urgency to rescue our youths from the claws of drug abuse.

    Aside from the recent ban of codeine, the government has been making efforts to tackle drug abuse, which is currently a global concern. One of such interventions is Lagos Kicks Against Drug Abuse (LASKADA) recently launched by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode. Speaking about the initiative, Ambode said: “This campaign tagged `Lagos State Kicks against Drug Abuse (LASKADA)’ is a clarion call and a reminder of our responsibility as individuals, organisations and society to rise and safeguard our collective future. We must condemn in strong terms, the excessive and persistent self-administration of drugs without regard to medical prescription.”  He also mentioned that Drug Dependent Rehabilitation Centres located in Isheri and Majidun were established to give support to the young ones addicted to drugs.

    Mrs. Adebola Kolawole, the vice chairman of the Nigerian Red Cross (Lagos Branch), said drug abuse is something everybody is campaigning against. This is kind of collaboration we need to fight this epidemic. At the federal level, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) needs to redouble its effort to block all avenues through which these drugs get into the hands of our young ones. Handling this social vice with kid gloves is the most unreasonable thing to do.  Given the enormous scale of this problem, we need strategic collaborations between the government/nongovernmental organisations and the private sector considering the critical need for information, resources and volunteers. For instance, there is a need to get current information on the different kinds of drugs abused and prime locations where drug addicts congregate. Insights gathered from studies should also be shared. It would also help to reward citizens who send useful information to law enforcement agents, especially leads to arrest “merchants of death” who go about selling these destructive drugs.

    More and more volunteers will be needed to work with government social workers to help out on the field. Training is of essence. The volunteers need to be trained and motivated properly. Young people ought to be encouraged to participate in this kind of life-saving project.

    Enlightenment about the dangers of abuse must continue in schools, churches, mosques, in public fora and everywhere young people can be found including the rural areas. The media need to help us bring to the fore burning issues that touch on the economic progress and wellbeing of our society.

    The unsettling revelation that came out of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)’s investigation on drug abuse earlier in the year awakened our legislators to their oversight/lawmaking duties but sadly codeine had already wreaked a lot of havoc. The question on my mind is: why is it that we often wait for things to go bad or become worse before we do the needful?

    We have so many government agencies that are heavily funded every year yet we hardly feel their impact. It is when there is a negative development like this or the media beams its light on issues that touch on them that such agencies start looking for a way to remedy the situation. The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) was like that for long until the late Professor Dora Akunyili got in the saddle. Appointing people who have no demonstrable sense of patriotism and credentials to head government agencies is a disservice to the nation.

    By and large, we need robust networking, coordinated response, continuous enlightenment, political will and relentless enthusiasm to break the jaws of this Mephistophelian menace and salvage the precious lives of our young ones and the future of our nation.

     

    • By Idowu Omisore,

    Lagos.