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Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The Medical Director of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Kware, Sokoto State, Dr. Shehu Sale has appealed to universities in the country to introduce courses on drug abuse in order to tackle the menace in the society.
Sale, who stated this during the 19th Seminar Series of the Federal University, Birnin Kebbi, titled “The Implication of Drug Abuse: Medical and Sociological Perspectives” observed that drug abuse if not checked would result to chronic on the brain.
The guest speaker, who linked drug abuse to drug factors, personality, genetics, social and psychiatric factors said, such actions usually led to depressants, stimulants and hallucinogen.
“When one started abusing drugs and became addicted, the implication would progress rapidly as addiction is a developmental disease which is chronic on the brain and could only be managed”, he said.
Sale explained that drug abuse causes liver diseases, dementia, lungs cancer, menstruation problems, epilepsy, stressed that drug abusers could be identified when coming late to work, absent at work or by frequent quarrelling with superiors.
He maintained that developing other certificate courses for Primary Health Care workers could enhance their ability to detect substance abuse and make referrals to specialist centres.
The seminar was jointly delivered alongside by Dr. Abdullahi Kangiwa of Sociology Department, who also urged Nigerians to shun drug abuse considering its implications in the development of the society.
In his remarks, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Birnin Kebbi, Prof. Bello Shehu, who was represented by the Deputy VC, Prof Kasimu Shehu, commended the speakers for their presentations and stressed that the institution would look into the recommendations.
