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Nasarawa Assembly moves to check drug abuse

By Guardian Nigeria
25 March 2022   |   3:57 am
The Nasarawa State House of Assembly, yesterday, organised a public hearing on a bill for a “Law to Prohibit Substance Abuse and to Provide Treatment for Abusers and Addicts 2021”.

The Nasarawa State House of Assembly, yesterday, organised a public hearing on a bill for a “Law to Prohibit Substance Abuse and to Provide Treatment for Abusers and Addicts 2021”.

Chairman, House Committee on Health, Labaran Shafa, said the public hearing was organised to get inputs from the stakeholders on the bill, adding that if finally passed into law, the bill would outlaw substance abuse and provide treatment for abusers.

Shafa, who represents Toto/Gadabuke constituency at the state legislature, said that substance abuse had affected the lives of many youths and other Nigerians negatively, hence the need for all hands to be on deck to tackle it.

“The bill is a private member bill sponsored by Abdulaziz Danladi of Keffi East constituency and it has passed second reading on the floor of the House.

“Danladi directed that a public hearing should be organised to get inputs from members of the public on the bill so that we will get the best out of it.

“We invited you to get your opinion and inputs on the bill so that by the time we pass the bill, it will generally be accepted by the people,” he said.

Shafa commended the stakeholders for their inputs and assured them of the committee’s readiness to take their inputs into consideration before passing the bill into law.

Also speaking, Chief Medical Director, Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, Lafia, Dr. Ikrama Hassan, described the bill as “excellent and timely” and commended its sponsor for the initiative, which he said, would go a long way in addressing several societal problems.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other health experts and stakeholders, who spoke during the public hearing canvassed the establishment of a rehabilitation and skills acquisition centre for drug abusers and addicts.

They also urged more awareness campaign against substance abuse to discourage people from addiction, especially the dealers and end users for the overall development of the country.

The public hearing also had in attendance representatives of the state branch of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Family Health Care Foundation, Ministry of Health and Drug Free World Africa, among others.

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