By Flowerbudnews
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its latest drug test kits used in testing drugs use is capable of detecting 15 different substances and hard drugs.
The Commander of NDLEA Enugu State Command, Mr Abel Wadahi, disclosed this at a workshop organised by the NDLEA in collaboration with Shellfield Media Consult on drug abuse prevention for women and youths in Enugu on Friday.
Wadahi said that the drug test kits would serve as a tool for the prevention of drug use and for the appropriate intervention including treatment rehabilitation, adding that it could create some deterrence effects.
He added that the drug test kits had become handy as drug integrity test had been adopted by some families, government and tertiary institutions in the state.
The commander revealed that the agency was not relenting in its effort to cut off supply channels and dismantle trafficking networks.
Speaking on the strategies on drug use prevention, the Deputy Commander of Narcotics, Dr Chinwe Thompson, said that a problematic drug use by one or more family members had substantial negative input on the entire family.
Thompson said that early intervention was necessary as its treatment was very expensive, calling on parents to live as role models by living responsibly for their children to emulate and live healthy in the society.
The Shellfield Media Consult Director, Mr Williams Chieshe, said that drug abuse did not only affected the individual involved but also the family, community and the entire society.
Chieshe said that the workshop was organised to sensitise the people of Enugu State about preventing drug abuse.
The Assistant Director, Research and Statistics Unit in NDLEA, Mr Precious Oyutu, said that the negative effects of drug use included physical, social and psychological effects.
According to her, the physical effect includes the damaging of brain, liver, hypertension, premature death and HIV as a result of using the same injection syringe together.
She called on teenagers and youths to always speak out, avoid relationship that could lead them to drug use and always be involved in religious activities.
The Chairman of Enugu State Traditional Rulers’ Council, Igwe Samuel Asadu, urged the Federal Government to intervene by providing more fund to the agency so as to increase the fight against drug abuse in the country.
Asadu, who is also the Traditional Ruler of Edem-Ani Kingdom in Nsukka, commended the commander of NDLEA and his officers for their efforts in the fight against drug abuse.
