NDLEA partners Foundation on reducing drug abuse among students
14 June 2023 |
1:02 am
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has partnered MTN Foundation to address the increase in drug abuse among young people by organising a quiz competition for secondary school students.
NDLEA PHOTO:Twitter
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has partnered MTN Foundation to address the increase in drug abuse among young people by organising a quiz competition for secondary school students.
NDLEA’s Director of Drug Demand Reduction Unit, Dr. Ngozi Madubuike, said the partnership with the MTN Foundation on the quiz competition on substance abuse is expected to reduce the rate of substance abuse among secondary school students in Nigeria.
She said the quiz competition was designed to provide young people with learning opportunities to develop skills and attitudes about drugs that enable them to appreciate the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
She said it would also assist them to build coping skills among students, to be able to resist the pressure to use drugs and to encourage peer education among young people on substance abuse.
According to her, a 2018 Drug Use Survey, conducted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), revealed that about 14.3 million Nigerians aged between 15 and 64 have used psychoactive substances.
The report stated that the uptake in the abuse of substances by young Nigerians has underscored an urgent need to drive awareness against substance abuse among secondary school students in Nigeria.
Also, in a 2018 study conducted by African Healthcare Services on substance use among secondary school students in Oyo State, it was found that the proportion of respondents who were substance abusers was significantly higher among students who had not received any formal lectures on substance abuse at school compared to those who had been taught.
According to the study, it further proves the importance of education and sensitisation among secondary school students in Nigeria in the fight against substance abuse.
The Guardian gathered that the Anti-Substance Abuse Programme (ASAP) quiz competition is designed to provide participants with the necessary information to make healthier personal choices and avoid risky situations that can predispose them to substance use.
The competition is also designed to provide an avenue for participants to act as advocates against substance abuse, educating peers and even members of the family unit on the dangers, triggers, and effects of substance abuse.
The organisers said following the elimination round of the quiz competition, held earlier in the month, six secondary schools who emerged as finalists, will compete for the grand prize in the final round of the competition, scheduled for June 23, 2023, in Abuja.
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