Drug Abuse: Fact Sharing is Crucial

 30, July,2022

                                                  Drug Abuse. Photo: BBC

By Fagbohun Oluwatobi, Lagos.

Fact sharing about drugs situations amongst the citizens, especially youths and young adults, would help address drug abuse and illicit trafficking challenges in the society. Persons affected by health or humanitarian crises are vulnerable to drug abuse or substance use disorders. During the COVID 19 Pandemic drug abuse rate soared according to reports.

Permanent secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, stated  this at the Y2022 International day Against Drug Abuse and illicit Trafficking, organized by the Lagos state Inter- Ministerial Drug Abuse Control committee in Alausa-Ikeja. Ogboye, who was represented by the Director of Pharmaceutical services, who also doubles as the chairman, of the committee, pharm. Oyebisi Omolanbe, said that fact sharing on the drug situation is the responsibility of all stakeholders and citizens.

Lagos State Inter-Ministerial Drug Abuse Committee Members 

                                                

Negative Coping Mechanism

He stressed the need to guide people against the use of drugs as a coping mechanism during health and humanitarian crises, pointing out that the use of drugs is a negative coping mechanism that will worsen the situation. His words: “We need to let the people know that taking drugs during challenging times will not solve any problem as it would only worsen the situation. The key point here is that we should learn to say no to drugs and say yes to life”.

Government Efforts

On his part, Permanent secretary, Ministry of information and strategy, Mr. Olusina Thorpe, noted that the ministry has been collaborating with the committee and the Ministry of Health to educate Lagosians on the menace of drug abuse.

He said: “We also partner with the Ministry of Health Organised Motorised campaigns, which is also a way to highlight the dangers of drug abuse”.

Thorpe added that the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is a focused government that remains committed to curbing the menace of drug abuse in Lagos state.

Our representative on the committee has been actively involved in the committee’s various programmes. Consequently, we shall continue to play our role by increasing public enlightenment campaigns via motorised advocacy in various places including motor parks, schools, youth centres, and market places while partnering with the committee to ensure drugs, substance abuse and Illicit trafficking are eradicated in the State”, he stated.

Drug Abuse Situation in Nigeria

It is worthy of note that the current health situation of Nigerian youths is disheartening and worrisome considering their engagement into hard drug abuses. Over 11 per cent of youth’s population in Nigeria take hard drugs like Syrup, tramadol, Diazepam, cocaine, Shisha mix among others.  A report from United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) said around 275 million people used drugs worldwide in the last year, while over 36 million people suffered from drug use disorders, according to the 2021 world drug report released by the UNODC. As the 2018 National Drug Use Survey revealed, in Nigeria at that time there were around 14.3 million drug users of which close to three million suffered from a drug use disorder.

Between 2010 and 2019, the number of people using drugs increased by 22 per cent, owing in part to global population growth. Based on demographic changes alone, current projections suggest an 11 per cent rise in the number of people who use drugs globally by 2030 – and a marked increase of 40 per cent in Africa, due to its rapidly growing and young population. In Nigeria, this would signify that the country will have to grapple with approximately 20 million drug users by 2030, further deepening the public health and public security challenge.

Proposed Solution

Lastly, parents should ensure that their children are well informed about this menace. Also, encourage them to mingle with good friends and also monitor all their day to day activities. Nigerian youths should avoid using hard drugs because it is putting young people's life in danger. Smoking of any kind brings about diseases like lungs cancer and hepatitis C among others.