John-Oni Advises Youths On Drug Abuse

THE Police Assistance Committee of Nigeria (PAC) led by its Director-General, Dr. Martins John-Oni has urged Nigerian youths to shun any act that could lure them into the use of hard drugs particularly marijuana. He made the statement recently in Colorado, United States of America where he participated in a conference on impact of marijuana on public health and safety.

  The conference, which was an assemblage of serving and retired police chiefs, public health experts and other law enforcement agencies was organised by the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) in co-ordination with Jensen Public Affairs, themed: Marijuana Impact On Public Health and Safety.

  In his address, John-Oni noted that addiction suffered through marijuana consumption by Nigerian youths had led to serious social implication on the mental and physical development of young adults.

  He posited that drug abuse amongst the youths including consumption of marijuana had brought untold hardship on the country social system, adding that this development had led to escalation of social vices amongst the youths such as school dropouts, cultism, prostitution, armed robbery, kidnapping, mental derailment, political thuggery, etc. He said the impact of drug abuse among Nigerian youths is producing a pool of unemployable and unemployed youths who have become social miscreants constituting problems to the society and to the government.

  He hinted that the menace of drug abuse is being consciously addressed by the Nigerian Government through various agencies and institutions like the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other government law enforcement agencies. 

  John-Oni said his organisation has been working assiduously in collaboration with other stakeholders to organise series of seminars and orientation programmes to educate the public on the damage marijuana could do to the health of Nigerians. He said time has come for all hands to be on deck to fight the social menace for consumption of marijuana and other hard drugs among youths globally.

    The President of Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police CACP, John Jackson lamented the increase in youth exposure to and use of marijuana, urged the policy makers and law enforcement both in the United States and elsewhere around the globe to recognise the importance of talking to the youths about marijuana and the consequences that result from using it at a young age.