The wife of the Delta State Governor, Deaconess Tobore Oborevwori, has called on relevant stakeholders to put in concerted efforts towards nipping the menace of drug abuse in the state.

She made the call following increasing reports of cases of drug abuse in the state while playing host to officers of the Delta State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), in Asaba, lamenting that parents are gradually losing their children to this menace.

The First Lady noted that drug abuse had been on the rise at a very alarming rate, pointing out the adverse effects it has had on youth.

“The level of drug abuse we are experiencing in society is worrisome and it is gradually but steadily destroying lives.

“It is even more alarming to learn that a great number of women are involved in drug and substance abuse as a means of escaping pressure and emotional stress.

“Irrespective of whatever reason people engage in it, the truth is that drug abuse is a silent killer and we all need to come together to raise awareness of the realities on ground as well as find ways to combat its spread.

“We are gradually losing our children to this menace. You see them on the streets and just at a glance, you can tell that something is wrong, and if we don’t do something about it now, we will have greater challenges to contend with in the near future.

“As a state, we will do all we can to see that this is achieved and we are counting on relevant agencies as well as individuals, especially mothers, to rise to the occasion,” she said.

Mrs Oborevwori promised to collaborate with the agency in every way possible to see that issues of drug abuse are reduced to the barest minimum in the state.

In his address, the leader of the delegation, Commander of Narcotics and the state commander of the agency, Abubakar Wada, pointed out some of the things that have led to an increase in the level of drug abuse.

“We have discovered that the availability of these drugs has made them easy to abuse, and as an agency, we have done well to reduce the circulation of these drugs. Between January and April, we recorded 261 pending cases, had 96 records of conviction and pressed 62 charges,” he said.

He noted that unemployment stands tall among the causes of drug abuse among young people.