NAFDAC: 14.3 Million Nigerians Suffering from Drug Abuse

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has said that an estimated 14.4 per cent Nigerians (14.3 million persons) are victims of drug abuse.
It described the drug abuse situation in the country as very alarming, adding that only one out of four high risk users of drug are arrested for drug-related offences.

The Director General of NAFDAC Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, stated this while flagging off a nationwide sensitisation campaign in secondary schools against drug abuse yesterday.
The DG who was represented by her Special Adviser, Dr. Fajemirokun Gbenga, at the flagg off  ceremony of NAFDAC’s Catch them Young Project and NAFDAC Consumer Safety Club at the Government Secondary School, Tudun Wada, Wuse Zone 4 in Abuja, said that NAFDAC is collaborating with stakeholders to mount drug abuse prevention campaigns in secondary schools across the country.

She said that the programme will be launched in eight secondary schools, one each in the six geographical areas of the country including Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the first phase of the campaign.
“The NAFDAC’s Catch them Young Project is a comprehensive and coordinated intensive programme focused on secondary schools, designed to reduce the prevalence of drug abuse amongst secondary school students,”  she said.

Adeyeye said that some of negative consequences of drug abuse are that the student victim may become engrossed in drug that he or she will no longer be regular at school and may be performing poorly in school work.
While welcoming the NAFDAC team to the school, the Principal, Mr. Joseph Akoh, said that the school was delighted to be chosen as the first place to flag off the anti drug abuse campaign.

He assured that the school authority will do everything necessary to nourish and sustain the anti drug abuse club.
Akoh, however, said that the school has not recorded incidents of drug use by students, adding that more effort will be put to maintain a drug-free institution.
The School Head boy, Abba Gana Abacha, said that the school has maintained a clean slate on the issue of drug abuse.
According to him, the sensitisation by NAFDAC has further enriched their knowledge on the negative consequences of illicit drug use.