The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), has said that the push for drug integrity tests for youth corps members, prospective couples, and others is not punitive but intended to discourage substance abuse and provide early treatment for those who test positive, before their condition degenerates into drug dependence and other health challenges.

Marwa stated this during a meeting with the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig Gen Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, who led senior NYSC officials on a courtesy visit to the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja yesterday.

According to the NDLEA chairman, “The drug scourge has continued to devastate our children, families, and communities. Everywhere you go in the country, there is a drug abuse problem. One in seven Nigerians between the ages of 15 and 64 uses drugs. We have to work with all stakeholders, including NYSC, to ensure a drastic reduction in the demand for drugs by our youths. One of our strategies to address this is our drug integrity test, which we advocate that NYSC should adopt for corps members.

In his response, the NYSC Director General described the drug integrity test as a great idea and promised to study the NDLEA’s proposal for possible collaboration.