From Fred Itua, Abuja
Deputy Superintendent Narcotics and Head of the Drug Demand Reduction Unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Delta Ports Command, Mrs Adeosun Olabisi, has called on students to stay away from drug abuse.
She has also urged them to maintain regulated use of drugs under prescription by medical practitioners so as to stay healthy and be of better use to themselves and the society.
She specifically spoke to students of Delta Steel Company Technical High School (owned and operated by Premium Steel and Mines Ltd), Udu, Delta State.
The agency stated this during a one-day outreach programme of the Technical High School Old Students Association Health Support Scheme on the theme: ‘Addressing drug challenges in Health and Humanitarian Crisis’, in commemoration of the United Nations International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking at the School auditorium with over 700 students of the institution in attendance.
Speaking on the theme of the outreach programme, the guest speaker, Mrs Olabisi, disclosed that drug abuse and trafficking in narcotics and psychoactive substances, was one of the major problems confronting humanity today.
According to the NDLEA officer, ‘’In 2018, the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime [UNODC] reported that both the range and global demand for drugs are expanding and diversifying as never before with the Drug Use Survey in Nigeria [2018] showing that 14.4 percent of the population between 15 and 64 years had used drugs other than alcohol and tobacco in 2017.
“The survey also shows that Delta State has the highest drug prevalence rate among the other States in the South Region of Nigeria.”
She disclosed further that drug is any chemical substance, which when taken into the body, by any means whatsoever, changes the functions of the body or behaviour of the user.
‘’Drug is said to be abused when its use is not medically necessary/prescribed, its use is legally prohibited and when it is excessively used,” she noted.
She said drug abuse provokes varying degrees of multiplier effects on the environment and society including domestic and industrial accidents, kidnapping, stealing, armed robbery, thuggery/violent behaviour, teenage pregnancies/abortion, banditry, dropping out of school/abortion, family disintegration, prostitution and abject poverty.
Mrs Olabisi emphasised that beside emotional effect of anger and frustration amongst others, the physical effects include the user body’s organ and the ways they function in the area of diseases of the heart, lung and liver, HIV / AIDS and other blood related diseases especially among the injecting drug users [IDUs], mental problems/madness, brain damage, respiratory illness, high blood pressure, irreparable damage to the kidney/pancreases, duodenal and stomach ulcers, and ultimately premature death, which she said, was common to all the aforementioned effects.
Another guest speaker at the event, Dr Maria Okocha, Director at the Counselling and Human Development centre of the Federal Petroleum University, Effurun, spoke in the same vein, urging participants of all ages to take to heart the inherent short-term and long-term dangers of drug abuse to societal health and good living.
The Assistant Commander of Narcotics (ACN) and Warri Area Commander of NDLEA, Mr. Harami Mwada, in his contribution informed the audience that the Chairman of NDLEA, Mohammed Buba Marwa recently commissioned a 24-hour anti-drug call centre.
He said: “The NDLEA Call Centre is manned by a team of licensed and credible clinical psychologists, counsellors, support workers and mental health professionals who would provide the needed support in aiding recovery, managing social and emotional problems, improving quality of life and enhancing performance and productivity of the users of the service. With its state-of-the-art equipment and its team of highly trained professionals in substance abuse disorder.”
There was a motivational talk on ‘Live your dream’ by Lola Aworanti-Ekugo an old student of the school and author of the book: “Lagos to London”.
After her presentation, she donated copies of the book to the school to encourage students to strive for the best in all that they do.
The National President of the Old Students Association of the School, Silvanus Ajuyah, in his address, emphasised the need to continue with the advocacy programme in order to sensitize the DSC Community and make THS a hub for canvassing saner use of drugs for a better society by establishing a Drug Free Club in the school within three months.
Highpoints of the event were the discussion on the topic by selected students and resource persons giving all the opportunity to exchange ideas in a friendly atmosphere.