No fewer than 14.4 percent of Nigeria’s population translating to 14.4 million Nigerians within the age bracket of 15 to 64 years are illicit drug users as revealed by the 2019 world drug report.
The registrar of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, Elisha Mohammed made this revelation on Thursday, October 31st in Kaduna as critical stakeholders gathered to brainstorm on alarming statistics on drug use prevalence in Nigeria and the way forward.
Mohammed said curiosity and peer pressure were major factors pushing people especially school children and young persons into non-medical drug use.
According to reports, the seminar was on drugs and substance abuse in Northwest organized by the PCN and Codeine Control and other Related Matters Working Group. It was to provide a platform of interaction to increase awareness of the effects of illicit drugs in the zone.
READ ALSO: Suicide bombers Use Tramadol – NAFDAC
Mohammed said the Council was pained by the development, as it affected the country’s productive population. According to her, the use of illicit drugs has led to brain damage which is quite expensive to manage at rehabilitation centers. She appealed passionately to children steer clear of drug abuse, warning that it truncates life.
“You have a great future. God has deposited a lot of potentials in you. Drug abuse affects the way your body performs. It affects an important part of your body.
“It changes your brain chemistry. It takes control of your brain because it has affected the brain, some will become depressed. They look unkempt. They engage in strange behavior.
“The issue of drug abuse is a big problem in Nigeria and all of us must come together to come up with the way forward”, she said.
Post Disclaimer
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author and forum participants on this website do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Anaedo Online or official policies of the Anaedo Online.