Pandemic Has Worsened Drug Abuse – NDLEA Laments

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (retd) has emphasised that the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened abuse of drugs.

Abdullah, in a statement to commemorate the 2020 International Day against drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Abuja, said as drugs of choice became scarce during the lockdown, increased experimentation with newer concoctions only aggravated the problem.

He said chances of newer forms of addiction hither unknown may arise.

Abdallah noted that there might be an increase in withdrawal syndrome for users due to a cut in the supply chain as a result of the lockdown.

He said drug trafficking was not abating during the lockdown.

“They continued with their nefarious trade notwithstanding COVID-19,” he said.

The NDLEA boss noted that ignorance has been found to be a major impediment militating against the fight against drug abuse. The absence of information, as well as aggravated misinformation and outright disinformation, had played out varying degrees in drug abuse.

‘This year’s commemoration encouraged Nigerians to get involved in the campaign against the illicit consumption and used of substance not administered by clinicians.

Abdallah said in 2019, 310.1 tonnes of Cannabis were seized and destroyed publicly.

“All together for that year, 612, 903.484 kilogrammes of drugs were seized. The arrest figures stand at 9,444 of drug-related offenders. A total of 1,195 convictions were recorded and 795 drug-dependent persons were counselled,” he said.

The number of youths involved in drug abuse of recent have increased lately. This study examines secondary school students’ perception of the consequences of substances – marijuana, alcohol, tobacco, tranquilizer, heroin and cocaine – reported to have been extensively abused in Nigeria.

Subjects for the study were four hundred and fifty students drawn randomly from fifteen mixed sex as well as single sex secondary schools in Ondo State, Nigeria.

The results, using a two-way Analysis of Variance, indicated that students’ perception of the consequences of drug abuse does not prevent them from taking it.

There is a significant difference between mixed and single sex secondary school students’ perception of the role of school counselors.

The positive perception of the role of school counselor in the prevention of drug abuse by the male drug abusers showed that school counselors were not making enough impact in the area of drug abuse and its prevention.