By Olayiwola Rasheed Jebba Hamilton
The Lawmaker representing Alimosho Constituency II, in the ninth (9th) Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon Kehinde Olaide Joseph, has lend his voice that the time to curb the continuous increase and prevalence abuses of drugs in the society is now.
Speaking in Igando area of Lagos State at the Y2021 Edition of the Lagos State House of Assembly 7th Annual Stakeholders’ Meeting on “Increasing Wave Of Drugs Abuse: A Threat To Nation Building”, he said it was worrisome that increase wave of drug and substance abuse in Nigeria has become a threat to public health, national stability, peace and security that needs more than urgent attention.
Joseph, However, said the use of a drug to cure an illness, prevent a disease or improve health is termed ‘drug use’. But when a drug is taken for reasons other than medical, in an amount, strength, frequency or manner that causes damage to the physical or mental functioning of an individual, it becomes ‘drug abuse’.
According to him, the continuous increase and prevalence abuse of drugs has led to a situation of drug addiction and criminality while the addict continues to developing a bondage to the drugs, meanwhile the effects of drug abuse is detrimental not only to the individual but to the society as a whole. Yet this problem is on the increase especially in the conflict zones of the country which is a serious threat to our national sanctity, based on these findings, prevention advocates would look to the mass media as an important aid in addressing the problem of Drugs and Substance abuse.
He stressed that substance abuse was increasing at an alarming rate, causing serious threats to every nation, by deteriorating health, increasing crimes, hampering productivity, destroying relationships, eroding social and moral values and impeding the overall progress of societies.
He decried that young people were becoming the largest hostage of the threat of substance abuse and their vulnerability was increasing gradually in the society.
“Fact-Check revealed it that the global prevalence of drug use is 5.6% but in Nigeria, it’s 14.4%, equivalent to 14.3 million people which depicts that 1 in 7 persons in Nigeria between the ages of 15 and 64 years use at least one psychoactive substance as against global average of 1 in 20.
“Also 1 in 5 persons who use drugs in Nigeria are suffering from drug use disorders which is higher than the global average of 1 in 11 persons and 1 in every 4 drug users in Nigeria is a woman. For cough syrup containing codeine, more women (2.5%) than men (2.3%) are involved. This portend grave danger even to the generation yet unborn. Women involvement in substance abuse has more implications than men, especially considering the critical role of women in child nurturing from the womb.
“1of 5 high risk drug users inject drugs, using needle and syringe. This has its own multiplier health consequences and that the most common drugs injected are pharmaceutical opioids.
“Nigeria population is about 3% of the world population but 6% of the world population of cannabis users are in Nigeria.
“14% of the world population who misuses pharmaceutical opioids are in Nigeria. Making Nigeria one of the countries in the world with the highest population of people who misuses tramadol and codeine cough syrup.
“Reports recently ranked Nigeria as 5th in the world with the highest suicide rate of an average of 6 suicides per month. As we may all know, factors that put individuals at the risk of substance use are very much related to factors which make people to commit suicide. More so, persons with substance use disorders places less premium on life, therefore at the risk of suicide.
“Beyond suicide, there are increased cases of sudden deaths among youths in the country which may not be unrelated to opioid overdose. Going by the recent trend, and if nothing is urgently done, we stand the risk of losing more than 100 youths daily to opioid overdose. Substance abuse may become one of the leading cause of deaths in Nigeria.
“Also worrisome is the increasing drug supply via the internet including the anonymous online marketplace known as the ‘dark net’ “, he reiterated
He therefore called on the stakeholders, residents, parents, proprietors/proprietresses, headmasters/headmistresses, guardians, religious leaders and organisations, professional bodies, academia, civil society organisations, community leaders and media influencers to help inform and educate people across groups and demographics on the dangers of Drugs and substance abuse in the society.
Guests, who spoke at the event expressed that the consequences of the increasing wave of drug and substance abuses on the society in general and on youths in particular, are extremely negative on every aspects of life which needs immediate intervention, adding that collaborative effort of all Stakeholder is needed, no one alone can control it.
