From time immemorial, the family has been the basic and most important structure of any society. However, the sanctity of this very important institution is being threatened by drug abuse. Drug abuse is a generic term for the abuse of any drug, including alcohol and cigarettes. It can also be described as an extreme desire to obtain, and use, increasing amounts of one or more substances.
In an interview with the press, Dr. Ramatu Aliyu, President of the Council of African Political Parties (CAPP) called on well meanings Nigerian in drug manufacturing and management businesses to come to Nigeria's aid in combating drug abuse in the nation. The CAPP President emphasized Nigerians can not do it alone without international communities’ continued assistance with the likes of Prof. Amina Odidi, co-founder IntelliPharmaCeutics - Canada. Prof Amina has extensive experience developing and applying proprietary technologies to the development of controlled-release drug products for third-party pharmaceutical companies. The call was made in a speech presented on the “illicit Drugs Abuse by Transport Operators in Federal Capital Territory – Abuja”
She reiterated interview for National Scorecard Online Magazine on the 25th June 2017, the current Chairman/CEO, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (Rtd.) defined drug abuse as the use “any substance that alters the normal composition of the body other than the food we eat”. He stated further, “Even if the food you eat alters the composition of your body, in such a way that it makes you high or over excited it has become a drug”.
Today, many families are affected by the effects of intake of illicit drugs by their wards due to peer or family influence. Let me use this avenue to issue a clarion call to transport operators, drivers and commuters to desist from taking illicit hard drugs which could destroy their future and endanger the lives of their passengers.
It is therefore imperative for all of us to join hands to campaign against the abuse of illicit drugs in our society. Parents should pay more attention to their children and the kind of people they move with. Mothers most especially should spend quality time with their children and observe positive and negative changes in their attitudes. Nowadays, many parents do not spend enough time with their children because they are busy chasing the good things to life, but unknown to them they are neglecting the most important things in life. As a result, their young ones are left to their own devices, and end up experimenting with the wrong things. But if parents get closer to their children from an early age, they would be able to determine when something is not going right.
According to The World Drug Report 2016 – United Nations Office Drugs and Crime “It is estimated that 1 in 20 adults, or a quarter of a billion people between the ages of 15 and 64 years, used at least one drug in 2014. Roughly the equivalent of the combined populations of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, though a substantial amount, it is one that does not seem to have grown over the past four years in proportion to the global population. Nevertheless, as over 29 million people who use drugs are estimated to suffer from drug use disorders, and of those, 12 million are people who inject drugs (PWID), of whom 14.0 per cent are living with HIV, the impact of drug use in terms of its consequences on health continues to be devastating.”
The consequences of Nigerians using illicit drug abuse by transport operators are adverse, because we don’t have enabling environment, appropriate techniques, adequate resources and training to combat these life-threatening situations. Notwithstanding, international drug traffickers are internationally twinned in doing this deadly business and must be uncovered and brought to immediate justice. The have contributed to many Nigerians languishing jails globally.
It’s an understatement not to reiterate global commitment to strengthen collective efforts in addressing and countering emerging and persistent challenges and threats of all aspects of the Nigerian drug problem, without missing words, promote, as appropriate, the use and analysis of relevant, reliable and objective data to improve the implementation of comprehensive, integrated and balanced national drug control strategies, policies and programs and encourage the sharing of best practices and lessons learned.
At the event Dr. Ramatu Tijani Aliyu was awarded the “Amazon of African Politics”, the first of its kind. She dedicated the award to: the media, NDLEA and united women fighting the scourge of illicit drug abuse in Nigeria.
Francis John, HOPe Africa USA, creating friendly societies. Kansas City, Missouri E. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
