DRUG ABUSE: Curbing Menace With Humane-Science Backed Approach

As International Day Against Drug Abuse is observed, the negative effects on the abusers include increased strain on the liver, which puts the person at risk of significant liver damage or liver failure. Seizures, stroke, mental confusion and brain damage. Lung disease. Problems with memory, attention and decision-making, which make daily, living more difficult.

However, health experts and stakeholders have canvassed for a society free of drug abuse, as government and other relevant stakeholders hands must be on deck. In order to prevent drug abuse in the country.

The stakeholders noted that parents should encourage their children to participate in activities within the scope of their interest, talent and knowledge. As this will keep them busy and reduce idleness and associated consequences of drug abuse as the majority of the abusers are young people.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) about 14 per cent of people aged between 15 and 64 abuse drugs.

Director, Media and Advocacy, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr. Femi Babafemi, said drug abuse in society can be attributed to many factors, but poverty, peer influence, poor parenting, social media, wrong role models, ailments and the availability of illicit substances are prominent contributing factors to the cause of drug abuse in Nigeria.

He explained that the government, through the NDLEA, has been exploring all available options for curbing drug abuse in Nigeria. The transformation of NDLEA in the past two years is a testament to the commitment of our government to address the menace of drug abuse.

NDLEA, in turn, introduced several measures to reverse the trend. We have worked on the prevention and treatment aspects, just as we have worked on the drug supply reduction aspect.

He said NDLEA has launched offensive action to take care of drug supply reduction. This has led to 30, 129 arrests; 6,252,924KG (6,252 tons) of illicit drugs seized; cash and drugs worth over N525 billion seized; 4,816 offenders successfully prosecuted and convicted; as well as 22,513 drug users counselled and rehabilitated in the past 28 months.

Babafemi noted that NDLEA has set up a 24/7 drug abuse call centre with a toll-free helpline 080010203040 for people who need help and treatment to call

He said the agency has launched a war against drug abuse (WADA) campaign to drive our drug use prevention advocacy, being taken to schools, communities and places of worship among others.

He said: “These measures and others have been hugely successful. We have pushed for key legislation and signed memorandum of understanding (MoU), with source countries to make easily abused pharmaceutical opioids unavailable except by licit prescription”.

He however, said that curbing drug abuse is not the duty of the government or NDLEA alone. “We have continued to advocate a whole-of-society approach, which involves every element of society, including the family, education, and religious institutions, as well as traditional institutions. They must play complementary roles in the effort by NDLEA and government to keep the country safe against illicit drugs”.

Babafemi stated that If Nigeria, wants to prevent the young ones from experimenting with drugs, we need a club, just like press club, dramatic society, and Jets club in primary and secondary schools, to drive the message. “These clubs will provide information and counternarratives that will neutralise peer influence, which is the usual catalyst for the abuse of illicit substances among young people”.

Babafemi disclosed that NDLEA has the Drug-Free club in tertiary institutions; which has now been rebranded as the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA); club.

He said the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NDLEA inaugurated the University of Abuja Chapter of the WADA Club last year.

He said: “Usually, when we talk about drug abuse, we focus more on statistics such as the number of offenders arrested and the volume of substances seized. The real issue, however, if we are going to stamp out this menace, is that we need to start an honest conversation about it. We need to see it as a public health problem that we must approach with a measure of humanity, rather than treating it purely as a criminal matter”.

Babafemi said the message theme for this year passing across focus on the fact that many of those addicted to drugs find it difficult to go for treatment because the moment they are known in society as drug abusers, they become stigmatised, and nobody wants to have anything to do with them.

He said even after they are totally rehabilitated, this mindset makes it difficult for drug users to seek treatment. And when they seek treatment, they easily relapse once society starts treating them with prejudice.

And unless we come to terms with this reality and adjust our mindset on how we relate to and help those with drug abuse problems get over their dependence, we will simply be running around in circles in our effort to have a drug-free society.

The National Agency for Drug and Food Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Director General (DG), Prof. Christianah Mojisola Adeyeye said NAFDAC has been saddled with the responsibility of safeguarding the health of the nation, especially, ensuring that foods, drugs and medical equipment made available to Nigerians are safe and wholesome.

She stated that the agency has never relented to his mandate in ensuring that health of the nation is safeguarded. The agency has developed the act of making sure every hands are on deck and educating members of the public with relevant information in order to be safe lives of the people.

Adeyeye said drug abuse has been a concern to her since she began her job as NAFDAC, DG, adding that she remembered well during her first two quarters in 2018, she was virtually, running after tramadol. Because at that time Nigeria was been raid upon by tramadol coming from India and she was amazed.

She said within the first two quarters also there was issue of codeine abuse. “I membered the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), documentary where our young children were going mad. How women were trading with codeine it was a shock for me”.

She said because of the development the agency under her leadership swag into action and made many arrests and persecutes the offenders to stop further occurrences of the abuse.

Adeyeye explained that excessive and unlawful intake of alcohol is also part of drug abuse and it is not in order for someone under the age of 18 years to take alcohol.

She said NAFDAC has worked with other regulatory agencies and other stakeholders to ensure zero drug abuse in the country.

She explained the current stride by the agency was where it designs messages on BRT buses in Lagos State to campaign in order to educate the people about the dangers of drug abuse and excessive alcohol consumption and under age drink. “Recently we commissioned rebranded BRT buses to discourage under age drinking to enable them to know the dangers and effects inherent in alcohol when you are not of age. The BRT buses ply around the city and as they carry the message we believe the message will get down to people.

She noted the agency commissioned six rebranded BRT buses in Abuja in order to educate people about the consequences of drug abuse.

She said excessive alcohol drink could lead to heart attacks, kidney failures and other related health challenges that might lead to untimely death if not treated properly. “Members of the society should be heath wise and comply with rules and regulations provided by NAFDAC”.

She said this our public enlightenment campaign as the agency takes the campaign to schools to educate school children.

On taking the campaign to National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), she said anytime they are on orientation camp we educate and train them.

She noted the agency abides by the international standard to guarantee a healthy nation as it continues to awaken consciousness of the people in this direction.

On providing clean drinking water, she said water is highly essential to human consumption for healthy living therefore it is a known fact that human cannot exist without quality drinking water. “It is absolutely necessary that portable drinking water should be available for human to live confortable life. For this reason a good drinking water devoid of all forms of harmful elements is important to NAFDAC. As the agency in its characteristic manner leave no stone unturned in educating and sensitizing the public as well as stakeholders on the need to have good portable water.

Adeyeye noted the United Nations Children Education Funds (UNICEF) and Scientific Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), as a away of focusing attention on importance of fresh water and advocating for sustainable management of fresh water resources came up with World Water Day.

She noted that NAFDAC in discharging its duty and safeguarding the health of Nigerian nation, keys into the commemoration of World Water Day in every March 22nd. “In the occasion of World Water Day, 2023, NAFDAC organised a forum with stakeholders in the water production industry to have deliberation under the topic accelerating change because without water there is no life”.

The DG, said the World Health Organization (WHO), issued an urgent call for action to accelerate progress and ensuring safe drinking water for all. She noted that two billion people live without safe drinking water and according to UNICEF, one third of Nigerian children do not have access to portable drinking water to meet their daily needs. “As we all know water is life from health to education, infrastructure water is vital for every aspect of human survival and wellbeing”.

She stated that intake of clean drinking water should be encouraged because clean drinking water improves the health and avoid cholera and other related waterborne diseases.

She said people should know that they do not need to add chemicals to the foods they eat. Even salt which is chemical should be added minimally will damage the heart.

Adeyeye said intake of excess salt would cause cardiovascular problems. “Not even talk about the chemical that is not supposed to be added therefore the campaign has to be continuous”.

The DG, explained that ripening fruits with chemicals pose dangers to human health, as people should be careful of the fruits they consume.

She said fruits are a great source of vitamins and minerals. They are important in certain disease prevention for instance, vitamin A and C deficiencies. Howbeit, the health benefit of fruit is a function on how they are ripened. The ideal path is to allow fruit to be ripened on the plant itself.

“However, it is not always feasible to wait for fruit to ripen naturally, because they need to be transported over long distances and if they were harvested ripe, they can go bad before getting to their destinations. Because of this, farmers harvest them unripe, then traders ripen them artificially using certain chemicals.

NAFDAC DG, said the two mostly used fruit ripening chemicals are calcium carbide and 2- chloroethyl phosphoric acid. “Calcium carbide is very dangerous, and it is an explosive chemical. It breaks down the organic composition of vitamins and other micronutrient. Most times, it changes only the skin colour, but the fruit remains raw. Industrial grade calcium carbide is contaminated with trace amount of arsenic and phosphorus, which are toxic chemicals. Arsenic and phosphorus poisoning can cause burning sensation in the chest and abdomen, diarrhea, ulcer on the skin, mouth and throat. Calcium carbide can cause neurological system disorder, dizziness, memory loss, cerebral oedema, low blood pressure, among others.

She disclosed that three easy and safe ways to naturally ripen fruits include add your fruit into a paper bag, seal it and wait for a few days. You can also add apple and banana peel to speed things up because they produce large amount of ethylene gas. Direct sunlight can ripen your fruit.

The DG, said there are dangers of using formaldehyde in food preservation. “Some unscrupulous fresh meat vendors still use formaldehyde illegally as a preservative in foods, which exposes people to formaldehyde ingestion. In humans, the ingestion of formaldehyde has been shown to cause vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, and in extreme cases can cause untimely deaths”.

Adeyeye said at low levels, breathing in formaldehyde can cause eye, nose and throat irritation. “At higher levels, formaldehyde exposure can cause skin rashes, shortness of breath, wheezing and changes in lung function”.

“It is known that it can also interact with molecules on cell membranes and in body tissues and fluids for instance, proteins and disrupt cellular functions. High concentrations cause precipitation of proteins, which results in cell death.

The Executive Director, Stampout Drug Abuse Initiative non-governmental organization (NGO), and member International Society of Substance Use Professional, Mr. Oluwafemi Silas said the NGO, was founded on the April 25th 2018, with the vision of educating, informing and enlightening the youths and the general public on the infallible truths about drugs abuse.

He said the organization also assists drug addicts secure rehabilitation centre where they can be treated and recover. “In the last four and a half years, we have succeeded in achieving some of our visions by organizing seminars, campaigns, workshops and trainings in schools, communities, youth organizations, churches, mosques, private and public organizations amongst others.

He said the NGO wants to draw the attention of the government, families, school authorities, communities, religious bodies and other stakeholders to the increasing number of young people indulging in the abuse and misuse of drugs.

He said according to a survey on drug use in Nigeria conducted in 2018 by National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the Centre for Research and Information on Substance Abuse (CRISA) about 14.3 million Nigerians between the ages of 15 to 64 used psychoactive substance for non-medical purposes .

Furthermore, he noted that it was discovered that one in every four drug users in Nigeria is a woman, and one in five persons who use hard substances in Nigeria is facing certain drug use disorders. “Drug abuse or substance abuse refers to the use of certain chemicals for the purpose of creating pleasurable effects on brain.

He stated that drug abuse also means a pattern of repeated drug or alcohol use that often interferes with health, work and social relationships. “The brain is weird to make you want to repeat experiences that make you feel good, so you are motivated to do them again and again”.

He disclosed that the drugs that may be addictive, target your brain’s reward system. They flood your brain with a chemical called dopamine. This triggers a feeling of intense pleasure so you keep taking the drug to chase the high. “We strongly believe that all stakeholders involved in the fight against drug abuse and misuse must come together to tackle this monster by taking pragmatic steps to prevent it. In view of the above, we believe the following practical steps will go a long way in addressing drug abuse in Nigeria.

Silas said government should sanitize the drug distribution system in the nation and restrict access to dangerous drugs, restrict access to over-the-counter drugs that may lead to abuse, continue to make public awareness campaigns via print, social and electronic media through relevant government agencies both at the federal, state and local governments levels.
He said government should review the drug laws and ensure that everybody specialists, individuals, cultivators and carriers, involved in drug-related offenses is served with stiff penalties. Establish more rehabilitation centres and employ capable staff to assist people with addiction in rehabilitation centres, stimulate the economy so as to create employment opportunities, especially for teenagers and youths in the country who are more vulnerable.

Silas said government should provide educational opportunities to the youths so as to make them productive rather than idle. Empower the relevant agencies such as NDLEA, NAFDAC and the likes by funding them adequately and allowing them discharge their duties professionally. Expand, equip and upgrade the facilities and institutions in charge of treating people with a drug use disorder.

In the role of the family, the director, said parents must educate their children about drug abuse because charity begins at home. Give zero tolerance for drug and alcohol use in and outside the house. Lead by example, expose their children to programmes, videos and publications that preach against drug abuse. Avoid exposing their kids to programmes, videos and publications that promote drug abuse, misuse and addiction. Parents should know the friends of their children and their family background, as this will help to prevent them from keeping bad company. “Do not abdicate your responsibilities in the home for the school, church or mosque. They are only there to play complementary roles”.

In the community and religious groups roles, he said the community and religious groups have a major role to play in preventing drug abuse because they are closer to the populace and they also have a direct influence on the people under them. “They should educate and enlighten their members and followers about the dangers of drug abuse, misuse and addiction on both the society and individuals.

They can as well set up a team of professionals among their members to counsel people suspected to be practising drug abuse. In addition, they should also strengthen their counselling units in churches and mosques by involving professionals among them to assist in drug education and related programmes that can benefit their members”.

Silas stated that celebrities are of the great influence in the life of most youths, in fact they are considered as role models in society. Therefore, celebrities, such as musicians, footballers, actors and actresses, entertainers among others should join fight against drug abuse.

“They can organize, participate and sponsor campaigns that are against the use of hard drugs. They should also be exemplary leaders, and avoid indulging in anything that has to do with the distribution, trading or use of hard substances so that their audiences can easily grasp their messages and shun drug abuse”.

Silas said youth groups, should be carried along especially community development associations have youth arms and some youth groups exist on their own. “These groups should regularly organize programmes that educate and enlighten on drug abuse and its ugly sides. They can invite professionals in the field of drug education to help deliver lectures on the subject matter so that their members may have a full understanding of it and shun it totally”.

He said individuals can help minimize drug abuse by observing the following, read and understand the adverse effects of using hard drugs, associate with the right persons. Learn to handle peer pressure rather than resorting to hard substances. They should seek professional help that can help you overcome addiction to hard drugs.

The director said people should distract themselves from taking drugs because tackling the menace of drug abuse has to be a joint task for every individuals, government, families, schools, civil society, religious organizations, media, communities and business entities.

Drug Abuse Activist and Advocate Mr. David Folanre, said the best way to stop the menace of drug abuse is through early prevention through education, enlightenment, sensitization, and advocacy.

He said the government through the primary stakeholder which is the NDLEA led by Brig. Gen Buba Marwa is doing a commendable job in drug demand reduction. “However we cannot leave the entire task to the government.
All hands must be on deck to curb the menace of drug abuse in our society.
Religious bodies, youth groups, NGO’s, CSO’s coperate organizations must all put hands together to reduce drug abuse among our youth to the barest minimum”.

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