The Gombe State Youth Parliament has taken a bold step in the fight against drug abuse with a campaign that highlights the importance of harm reduction strategies.The event, held on Saturday, attracted participation from various youth organisations and aims to raise awareness and promote support for individuals struggling with substance use.

Speaker of the Gombe State Youth Parliament, Aliyu Danladi, explained that the event, tagged “Campaign Against Drugs and Other Social Atrocities”, cited alarming statistics that 21 per cent of young people in Gombe are into drug abuse.He charged members of the parliament to take the campaign to their various constituencies, stressing the need for collective action.

Danladi thanked the participants, sponsors and partners for their support, stating that the campaign was a crucial step towards addressing the drug abuse menace in the state.A fellow of Youth Rise Nigeria, Saleh Katam, emphasised the need to shift focus from stigmatisation to counselling and support for individuals struggling with substance use.

“We can’t continue to say no to drug abuse, but we can reduce the harm,” he stated, urging policymakers to prioritise rehabilitation and support for those affected.

The youth advocates attributed drug addiction to hopelessness and lack of opportunities, calling on the government to provide hope and jobs for citizens.”If government gives citizens hope and jobs, they will shun drug abuse naturally,” they asserted.The campaign featured participation from prominent youth organisations, including Youth O’clock, Drugs Free and Health Awareness Initiative, Drugs Free and Preventive Health Care Organisation, and Leo Initiative, INEC, among others.

A recent report highlighted that Nigeria is grappling with an alarming drug crisis, with a United Nations report revealing that 14.4 per cent of its population aged 15 to 64 (nearly triple the global average) abuses drugs.

Startlingly, one in five drug users suffers from disorders requiring urgent treatment. Also, psychiatric studies show that 82.5 per cent of boys in correctional facilities have mental health challenges.As drug trafficking fuels violent extremism and economic collapse, the country risks deeper instability, crime, and a lost generation of youths without swift intervention.

A study conducted at a Borstal Institution in North-Central Nigeria found that 82.5 per cent of adolescent male residents had psychiatric disorders. The most prevalent conditions were disruptive behaviour disorders (40.8 per cent), followed by substance use disorders (15.8 per cent), anxiety disorders (14.2 per cent), psychosis (6.7 per cent), and mood disorders (five per cent).

A professor of psychiatry and clinical psychology at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Olurotimi Coker, raised an alarm over the growing mental health crisis among boys in Nigeria.