The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA, Retired General Buba Marwa has raised alarm over the prevalence use of drug among Nigerian youths.
Marwa stated this at a 2- day drug prevention and treatment care( DPTC) training organised by the Kwara State government for teachers of public secondary schools in ilorin
Represented by the deputy director drug demand reduction at the NDLEA headquarters, Muhammed Ibrahim, Marwa explained that the 2018 National Drug Use Survey conducted by the UNODC, indicated an estimated 14.3 million Nigerians aged 15 to 64 years had used drugs in the preceding year.
He said this is almost three times the global average adding that what is even more worrisome is that one in five drug users in Nigeria suffers from drug use disorders and requires treatment.
He lamented that schools, which are supposed to be safe spaces for learning and development, were increasingly becoming environments where drug exposure and experimentation occurred.
The NDLEA boss explained that substances like cannabis, codeine, and emerging synthetic drugs are finding their way into the hands of students, with devastating effects on their health, academic performance, and future prospects.
Marwa said the NDLEA has been unrelenting in its fight against drug and substance abuse.
“Over the past few years, we have intensified efforts in the areas of enforcement, education, and rehabilitation”
Earlier, the Special Assistant to Kwara State governor on Drug Abuse Prevention and Control, Aileru Mukail, said that the training programme underscored the vision of Governor AbdulRazaq in the fight against drug abuse.
He said the state government had also approved a comprehensive policy to tackle drug abuse in schools and communities across the state.
