Parents Should Always Monitor Their Children Against Drug Abuse – SIRP

Parents have been advised to adequately monitor their children in order to guide them against indulging in drug abuse.

The Program Manager of the Society for the Improvement of Rural People (SIRP) Mrs. Evelyn Joseph, gave the advice in Enugu during a two-day media training organised by the Society and funded by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Speaking on the theme: Response to Drugs and Related Organised Crimes in Nigeria, Joseph said parents must make efforts to know the kinds of activities their children engage themselves in.

She said it will enable parents prevent early traces of drug use among them.

Joseph noted that Nigeria remains one of the key transit point for drug trafficking in WEST Africa.

She explain that “in late 2017, Lagos Custom seized 115 tons of Tramadol.”

She said “a survey conducted by National Bureau of Statistics and Centre for Research and Information in Substance Abuse showed that 14.3 million Nigerians aged 15 to 64 had used drugs.

“The survey further showed that 22.4 per cent of drug abusers are in the South West; 16.2 per cent in the South-South; 13.8 per cent in the South East, 13.2 per cent in the North East; 12.0 per cent in the North West and 10.4 per cent in the North Central.”

While noting that drug abusers can be treated and re-integrated back to the society, she however noted the Society had adopted drug counselling to encourage and motivate the abusers to reduce their drug use-related risks.

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Joseph regretted that a lot of our young ones are going into drug without knowing the effect of what they are going into.

Drug abuse no doubt is currently one of the dangers facing the youth in Nigeria. experts have continue to expose the dangers and consequences of drug abuse, emphasizing that drug-free society is key to socio-economic and meaningful development.

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