CONCERNED about the rising menace of drug abuse among Nigerian youths, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Adicare Rehabilitation Home, Mrs. Veronica Ogochukwu Ezeh, has called for urgent action to curb substance abuse to preserve the health and potential of young persons.   Speaking at a mental health advocacy engagement in Lagos, Ezeh described substance use as “one of the greatest threats to Nigeria’s youths.” She noted that thousands of promising lives were being lost to addiction, mental illness, crime, and social disintegration.
According to her, over 90 per cent of patients admitted at rehabilitation centres are young persons, whose mental health challenges are linked to drug use.
“Many of these cases did not start as madness. They began with experimentation — trying drugs for fun, to cope with stress or to fit in. What starts as curiosity often ends in addiction, depression, and total breakdown,” she said.

Ezeh warned that substances such as hard drugs, inhalants, and harmful chemicals could cause irreversible brain damage, leading to anxiety disorders, psychosis, memory loss, and violent behaviour.

“Many youths are misled into thinking drugs improve confidence or creativity, when in fact they destroy focus, discipline, and emotional stability. Drugs don’t solve problems. They multiply them. They weaken your mind, ruin your judgment, and push you into decisions you will regret for life,” she stressed.

Ezeh appealed to parents and guardians to listen, observe, and care more about youths under their care. You cannot outsource parenting. Know your children’s friends, movements, online activities, and emotional state,” she advised.
She outlined warning signs parents should watch for: Sudden withdrawal from social activities, unexplained mood swings, poor academic performance, loss of interest in hobbies, secretive behaviour, and association with gangs, cults, or negative peer groups.
Peer pressure, she noted, remains a key driver of substance abuse, as youths seek validation outside the home.
Ezeh urged young people to seek healthy ways to cope with stress, including sports, creative pursuits, mentorship, counselling, and community engagement. She also called on schools, religious institutions, and community leaders to create safe spaces for open dialogue on mental health and drug abuse.
“Addiction thrives in secrecy. The earlier we speak up and seek help, the easier recovery becomes,” she said.
She also appealed to the government to fund rehabilitation centres, strengthen substance regulations, and implement school-based sensitisation programmes.