By Thompson Yamput
Dr Collins Egbeola, Consultant Psychiatrist, Federal University, Lokoja Teaching Hospital, has advised parents and government to take drastic measures against illicit drug abuse and trafficking to save Nigerian youths.
Egbeola gave the advice on Wednesday in Lokoja in a paper he presented at the celebration of this year’s Day Against Substance Use.
The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN), reports that the celebration was organised by the NDLEA, Kogi Command, in onjunction with the state government,
In the paper titled: “Prevention of substance use disorders: An approach in perspective”, Egbeola emphasised the need to promote healthy living, delay initiation into drug use, prevent development of a disorder and delay of relapse.
He said that the dearth of trained manpower, brain drain syndrome, funding challenge, lack of political will to control access to legal substances due to economic interests, were some of the challenges to drug control in Nigeria.
“Some drug-related realities include adverse effect of substance abuse on individuals, family and society.
“Traditional approach to fighting drug abuse involves supply interruption – reducing opportunity for use – and demand reduction via awareness campaigns.
He said that prevention was cost-effective and could not be compared to the disease burden.
“Prevention should go beyond primary prevention; there is the need for interventions through the whole spectrum.
“Prevention reduces burden of the problem. Government must change theory to focus on individual factors like the risk associated with drugs.
“There is the need to enlist buy-in of all stakeholders like politicians, families, communities, dispensers and prescribers,” he said.
In her remarks, Hajiya Safinat Ododo, wife of Gov. Usman Ododo, represented by the wife of the deputy Governor, Mrs Margaret Oyibo, pledged government’s support to NDLEA in the fight against illicit drugs abuse/trafficking in Kogi.
Safinat called on parents and guardians to watch over their wards to ensure that they did not engage in illicit drugs consumption.
“The youths are the hope of the survival of the country; they must be given good counseling to be responsible and hardworking so as to pilot the affairs of the country in the near future,” he said. NAN
