The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA) and the Progressive Impact Organisation for Community Development (PRIMORG) have warned youths, especially students, to ‘stay away’ from illicit drugs and psychotropic substances.
The warning is in continuation of PRIMORG’s recently flagged off Drug Demand Reduction campaign tagged “Safe Without Drugs (SWiD) Initiative” at Government Secondary School, Apo, FCT – Abuja, on Friday, February 23, 2024.
In his remark, the NDLEA Chairman, Brig Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), lamented the devastating consequences of early drug abuse, which includes mental illness, academic failure and societal disorder, while commending PRIMORG for the initiative.
He noted that the sensitization against drug abuse in schools cannot be over-emphasized, given the magnitude of the drug problem in the country. One of the significant difficulties Nigerians who abuse drugs are facing is that treatment for substance use disorder is not readily available and is very expensive.
Staff Officer Sensitisation, Drug Demand and Reduction Directorate NHQs Abuja Superintendent of Narcotics Owonubi Gbenga represented Marwa.
NDLEA, however, sensitized the senior secondary students on “understanding the concept of drug abuse or drug misuse; the magnitude of the drug problem in our society; and the signs, symptoms of drug effects and coping skills.
Owonubi also introduced the Safe Without Drugs Initiative/ War Against Drug Abuse (SWiD/WADA) club to the students and management of the school as an avenue to continue the advocacy against drug abuse among students.
Representative of FCT Secondary School Board, Haj. Hadiza Mohammed commended PRIMORG for the SWiD Initiative while joining calls for students to shun drug abuse outrightly.
Mohammed assured that the campaign against drug abuse is something the government will not stop and is serious about advocating against drug use and enlightening the students about it.
Warning the students against abusing drugs, Mohammed said, “Drug abuse starts with an addiction, and addiction is a monster. It will destroy you, tear you apart and later laugh at you, making you useless to society. It will put your psychological being at stake and endanger your parents in terms of rehabilitating you as a drug abuse victim”.
She encouraged the students not to keep quiet but to speak up when they see drug abusers, stressing the need to spread the campaign against drug consumption to neighbourhoods, friends and even to parents and guardians.
Earlier, PRIMORG’s Programme Manager, Dr Adaobi Obiabunmuo, hailed the partnership between the NDLEA, FCT Secondary School Board and the management of Government Secondary School, Apo, FCT.
Obiabunmuo, while joining others to urge students to stay away from drug abuse completely. She disclosed that the SWiD Initiative targets students, primarily the senior secondary in a bid to teach them the negative impact of illicit use of drugs and better shape their future.
Other speakers during the programme warned the students against getting close to drugs as it will truncate their future ambitions and goals.
It will be recalled that PRIMORG launched the SWiD Initiative about a fortnight ago at Excellent Kiddies Academy, Bwari, Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The advocacy possesses a wide range of programmes and activities meant to address the multifaceted problems of drug abuse in Nigeria.