The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control [NAFDAC], on Wednesday, disclosed that an alarming 14.3 million Nigerians are victims of drug abuse or under the influence of drug addiction.
NAFDAC said most of the people who abuse drugs report serious problems such as missing school or work, doing poor jobs at work or school, neglecting their families and children, among other problems, as a result of drug abuse.
The agency noted that the problems showed the bane of Nigerian society and the reason everyone must rise to protect the nation.
Speaking at the inauguration of the NAFDAC Consumer Safety Cub of the ‘NAFDAC Catch-them-young project held at Kishi Community Grammar School, Kishi, Irepo Local government area, Oyo State, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, decried the development.
Adeyeye stressed that the agency, as part of her mandate, sought to collaborate with stakeholders on drug reduction demand programmes, such as drug abuse campaigns in secondary schools, to check the menace of drug abuse amongst young Nigerians.
The DG was represented by Samuel Adeyemi, who is the Oyo State Coordinator of the agency.
She noted that the introduction and inauguration of the NAFDAC Consumer Safety Club is targeted at making known the menace of drug abuse in Nigeria.
She stated that research findings showed that one out of every four high-risk drug users has been arrested for drug-related offences, including possession, theft, sex work, burglary, and shoplifting, and considering that most crimes go unreported, everyone will realise the huge problem the Nigerian society is confronted with.
Adeyeye urged teachers to not be judgemental but rather create an enabling environment for students to ask questions while emphasising the dangers of drug abuse and not castigating those who are already using drugs.
She also urged the students to be agents of change by propagating the right virtues that can lead to behavioural change.
The professor enjoined them to use their membership of the NAFDAC Consumer Safety Club to assist in the information flow on NAFDAC regulatory activities and promote the fight against drug abuse, fake drugs, and counterfeit regulated products.
The highlights of the programme included a paper presentation by Ms. O. Ogunronbi, handing over of Souvenirs to the school authority, and photographs with NAFDAC Consumer Safety Club delegates and the school authority.
