– As NAFDAC Launches -;Catch them young” sensitisation campaign in Wesley Girls Senior Secondary School in Yaba, Lagos
By Biola Lawal
Lagos (Flowerbudnews): NAFDAC Director General, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye has intensified the Agency’s campaign against drug abuse among youths, declaring it as an effort to safeguard the future of Nigeria.
Flowerbudnews reports that Prof. Adeyeye made the declaration in Lagos at the launch of the NAFDAC Catch Them Young Programme at the Wesley Girls Senior Secondary School in Yaba, Lagos.
Prof. Adeyeye said that the NAFDAC Catch Them Young Programme ‘:is a comprehensive and coordinated intensive programme focused on secondary schools, designed to reduce the prevalence of drug abuse amongst secondary school students.”
The NAFDAC Boss, who was represented by Mrs Yedunni Adenuga, Director Narcotics and Control substances, stated further that the “NAFDAC- Catch them Young” programme was focused on drug abuse education and awareness campaign on the menace of drug abuse in Nigeria.
”This is extremely important because of the segment of the nation that is most affected – the youths, and by extension, our teenagers,” She said
Prof Adeyeye said that ”NAFDAC as part of her mandate, seeks to collaborate with stakeholders on Drug Reduction Demand programmes, such as drug abuse campaign to secondary schools to check the menace of drug abuse among young Nigerians.”
She disclose that ”it is estimated that 14.4 per cent or 14.3 million Nigerians are victims of drug abuse. This is alarming!
Research findings show that one out of every four high risk drug users have been arrested for drug related offences, including possession (73%), theft (12 %), sex work (five %), burglary (four %), and shop lifting (two %).
”Note that this data only shows the number of arrests. If we consider that most crimes go unreported, then, we will see that we have a huge problem on our hands.
Two thirds of people who abuse drugs report having serious problems as a result. These problems include, missing school or work, doing poor jobs at work or school and even neglecting their family or children.
These show us the bane of our society and why we must do all we can to protect our nation”
Drug addiction can arise from both legal such as prescribed medicines and illicit drugs. This programme is not designed to scare anyone, but to have honest conversations with you. This will help you to take informed decisions with regards to illicit drug use including alcohol consumption, She explained.
”What are controlled drugs or medicines?
A medicine or medicinal substance that is strictly controlled by the government because it may be abused or cause addiction.
”The control applies to the way the substance is made, used, handled stored and distributed. The policy thrust of NAFDAC is to ensure availability of controlled medicines for licit use, while preventing diversion to non-medical and illicit use.
”Controlled drugs for medical and scientific purpose; When a drug is used/prescribed for medical purpose at the lowest risk of abuse or when a controlled drug is required for research purposes,” Prof. Adeyeye stated.
You have the right to ask questions about any drug prescribed for you.
What is diversion?
Drug diversion is a medical and legal concept involving the transfer of drugs from their original licit medical purpose to illicit channels.
Prof. Adeyeye stated further:
What is drug abuse?
Excessive use of psychoactive drugs, such as alcohol, pain medications or illegal drugs. It can lead to physical, social or emotional harm. Every victim of drug abuse belongs to a family and every family belongs to a community of households.
A recent household drug use survey revealed that prescription drug abuse is a fast-emerging public health problem that has led to increasing poly-drug use amongst drug dependent persons.
It is undermining all efforts to deepen socio-economic development and is associated with crime and lawlessness.
So many medicines, including antibiotics, tramadol, and some others are bought without the doctor’s prescription.
Drugs commonly abused by young people
Substances that youths and teens may use include those that are legal for adults, such as alcohol or tobacco since they are readily available. So many medicines, including antibiotics, tramadol, and many others are bought without the doctor’s prescription.
Teens may order substances online that promise to help in sports competition or promote weight loss. In some cases, products common in homes and that have certain chemicals are inhaled for intoxication.
At the very extreme end of the drug abuse spectrum, teens may also use illicit drugs, such as cocaine or methamphetamine.
What are the consequences of drug abuse?
Negative consequences of teen drug abuse might include (but not limited to):
• Drug dependence. Some teens who misuse drugs are at increased risk of substance use disorder.
• Poor judgment. Teenage drug use is associated with poor judgment in social and personal interactions.
• Sexual activity. Drug use is associated with high-risk sexual behaviour, unsafe sex and unplanned pregnancy.
• Mental health disorders. Drug use can complicate or increase the risk of mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety
• Impaired driving. Driving under the influence of any drug affects driving skills. It puts the driver, passengers and others on the road at risk.
• Changes in school performance. Substance use can result in bad grades because of low attendance in school.
Health Consequences of drug abuse
• Drug addiction, serious impairment, illness and death.
• Risk of damage to the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys from long-term use.
• Risk of impairment in memory, learning, problem-solving and concentration; risk of psychosis, such as schizophrenia, hallucination or paranoia,
Aside from the destruction of the family, the workforce, the gratification or satisfaction that a person may get from abuse of drugs such as tramadol or codeine is short-lived.
There is PAY DAY SOME DAY. This comes in form of the dangerous effects on the body. Tramadol-use disorder is associated with physical withdrawal symptoms and compulsive behaviour.
How can you avoid drug abuse?
• Resist peer pressure
• Abstain from Drug abuse
• Seek professional help
• Develop a hobby or talent
• Take only prescribed medication
• Concentrate more on your studies.
• Be content with what you have
• Don’t experiment with hard drugs!
Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol is the most widely used drug by adolescents regardless of ethnicity, gender or race. Alcoholism is a chronic illness with an insidious onset which may occur at any age and adolescent’s drinking behaviour has been the vital social issues in several countries.
Alcoholism is a popular term for alcohol use disorders including alcohol dependence. It is a condition characterized by a pathologic pattern of alcohol use causing serious impairment in physical, emotional, social or occupational functioning.
You as adolescents are at a critical stage of development and many young people begin to experiment with alcohol. The alcohol-related issues among adolescents who consume alcohol are drop-outs, academic failures, involvement with legal issues, using obscene words and several other vices.
Health related problems like poor nutrition, memory disorders, liver disease, high blood pressure, muscle weakness, heart rhythm disturbances, anaemia, low blood sugar and weakened bones.
You must develop alcohol drinking refusal skills because of the consequences of alcoholism. Alcohol is very common in our community where they are freely sold in sachets and small volume bottles.
These are very dangerous for adolescents like you, and you must learn to resist the urge to engage in alcohol drinking. Once you start, you may not be able to stop.
We do not get to choose who our parents are or the circumstances of our birth, but you can choose to be the best version of yourself by the choices you make.
It is high time you as young Nigerians realise that this epidemic of drug, including alcohol abuse is destroying families, the workforce, and destabilizing our economy. All these pose a great threat to the future of good governance in Nigeria.
If you are being corrected for misbehaviour, do not ignore it by being defensive; think about it and make a behavioural change.
Peer Pressure
Peer pressure is the influence of one’s peer group. You want to do something because you want to feel accepted and valued by your friends. This is a huge reason why adolescents do drugs.
Once someone does a drug once, they can become hooked. The bad influence on your mind and body is permanent, and it is not something you can easily quit. It is high time we started talking about taking care of our bodies to ensure that drug abuse that will destroy lives is avoided.
The Role of Teachers
Our teachers have great roles to play in the fight against drug abuse because they spend a considerable amount of time with the students. I enjoin teachers to continue to work with parents or guardians of the youths to point out when they observe behavioural problems in a child and to count their work as part of building the society.
Teachers should not be judgemental but should create an enabling environment for students to ask questions. Emphasize that drug use is dangerous but that doesn’t mean your student is a bad person.
If you do not have the answer to a question, please be honest about it and seek appropriate support from those who have the knowledge. Do not stigmatise any student using drugs but offer non-judgemental support.
Why was NAFDAC Established?
Without proper regulation, people are bound to bring in a lot of junk products into the Nigerian market all in the name of food and drug products. This will cause a lot of damage to the health of the residents of Nigeria who would ultimately buy and consume these products.
NAFDAC Consumer Safety Club (NCSC)
NAFDAC Consumer Safety Club (NCSC) is one of the agency’s special public enlightenment strategies targeting the youths in the society in its efforts to eradicate fake/substandard regulated products and enthrone a quality culture, while employing the use of cutting-edge technology to track counterfeiters.
NAFDAC has taken the campaign against drug abuse to the grass roots by re-establishing NCSC in secondary schools where we will in collaboration with the schoolteachers work with junior and senior secondary school students to catch them young and prevent lives of addiction and destruction.
We enjoin you all to be agents of change by propagating the right virtues that can lead to behavioural change.
We deem it expedient to immunize our society against counterfeits by re-orientating our youths through the activities of NCSC.
You are urged to use your membership of NAFDAC of NCSC to assist in information flow on NAFDAC regulatory activities and promote the fight against drug abuse, fake and counterfeit regulated products. NAFDAC’s mission is to mould a future generation that is not only empowered to be upright, but demand uprightness from others.
The reality is that the fight against drug abuse is a fight for the future of Nigeria. May God protect Nigeria and may God bless us all.
