FG to Conduct Nationwide Drug Use Survey to Fight Medication, Others

The Federal Authorities says it would conduct a drug use survey as a part of its efforts to fight drug abuse and develop preventive measures.

It mentioned the survey to be carried out quickly would assist the federal government break the vicious cycle of drug abuse, safeguard teeming youth from falling prey to the illicit act and guarantee correct useful resource allocation to handle the problem successfully.

President Bola Tinubu mentioned this at an occasion held on Tuesday in Abuja to commemorate the 2024 United Nations Worldwide Day In opposition to Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking themed, “The Proof is Clear: Spend money on Prevention”.

On December seventh, 1987, the United Nations Common Meeting put aside June 26 of yearly because the Worldwide Day in opposition to Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking to boost consciousness in regards to the main drawback that illicit medicine characterize to society.

Drug abuse refers back to the dangerous or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, together with alcohol and illicit medicine. It results in dependancy, a persistent, relapsing dysfunction characterised by compulsive drug looking for, continued use regardless of dangerous penalties, and long-lasting modifications within the mind.

The annual occasion with help from the MTN Basis encourages governments, organizations, and people to come back collectively to fight drug abuse and unlawful drug commerce via schooling, prevention, and remedy programmes.

The Nation Consultant, United Nations Workplace on Medication and Crime, Oliver Stolpe, highlighting the influence of drug abuse mentioned that 292 million or 5.6 per cent of the world inhabitants aged between 15 and 64 engaged in drug abuse up to now yr.

Talking throughout his keynote tackle, Tinubu represented by the Secretary to the Authorities of the Federation, Senator George Akume, mentioned that the growing spate of drug abuse is a stark reminder of an pressing task to avoid wasting humanity.

He acknowledged that the social, financial and well being penalties of drug abuse don’t solely destroy lives but in addition put a pressure on the healthcare system including extra burden on the federal government to offer correct rehabilitation.

He mentioned, “Our gathering right here on this vital event to commemorate the Worldwide Day In opposition to Drug Abuse and the Nationwide Day In opposition to Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, a day devoted to elevating consciousness in regards to the world problem of drug abuse and trafficking is a stark reminder of an pressing task for humanity. It communicates the necessity to allocate extra assets within the collective and coordinated quest to stamp out the implications of the abuse of illicit medicine.

“The social, financial and well being penalties of drug abuse usually are not solely devastating to lives but in addition put a pressure on the healthcare system. Drug abuse imposes a burden on authorities and other people and the ramifications of those penalties reverberated throughout generations.”

The president acknowledged that preventive measures stay essentially the most potent weapon to avoid wasting lives and promote wholesome life including that the intervention is just not merely an ethical crucial, however an answer to safeguarding our future.

“Within the face of this formidable problem, prevention is essentially the most potent weapon that we will deploy. Prevention not solely saves lives, it additionally saves assets that might in any other case have been spent on remedy and rehabilitation. It empowers people to make knowledgeable selections, promotes wholesome life, and creates resilient communities, able to withstanding the pressures of drug abuse.

“Preventive intervention is just not merely an ethical crucial, however an answer to safeguarding our future by allocating assets in the direction of varied prevention packages, we will break the vicious cycle of drug abuse and shield our youth from falling prey to the menace.

“Prevention efforts should be complete and should goal all the weather of society, particularly, colleges, markets, motor parks, workplaces and communities. It should contain all stakeholders as a result of the drug drawback requires the entire of society method and no single entity can deal with it alone.

“On this observe, I take pleasure in one and all help for the battle in opposition to drug abuse initiative, in any other case referred to as the WADA marketing campaign, accomplished by NDLEA three years in the past. This authorities will help the NDLEA to construct on its success recorded up to now three years. We will work with all related stakeholders to make sure that we have now optimistic statistics from the subsequent nationwide drug use survey to be carried out within the nation. Collectively we will construct a rustic the place each particular person has the chance to reside a drug-free life the place communities thrive and the place hope replaces destruction.”

In his tackle, the Director Common of the Nationwide Drug Regulation Enforcement Company, Mohamed Buba Marwa, mentioned operatives of the company have 52,901 drug traffickers, together with 48 barons, and obtained over 9,000 convictions of suspects within the final three years.

Marwa mentioned the company’s offensive motion had resulted within the seizure of over 7.6 million kilograms of varied illicit substances, together with cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and hashish.

The NDLEA boss mentioned efforts to realize a drug-free Nigeria are being led with preventive steps, certainly one of which has been blocking distribution channels.

He mentioned, “The crucial to put money into prevention is dictated by evidence-based outcomes which have proven that prevention is way cheaper than coping with the implications of drug use dysfunction. As a result of, in spite of everything, prevention is healthier than remedy.

“At NDLEA, drug use prevention lies on the coronary heart of our technique in addressing the drug drawback as it’s: far more practical and cost-efficient to stop drug abuse than to cope with its penalties. As a part of the reforms being undertaken within the Company within the final three years, with the help of the Federal Authorities and varied stakeholders, we have now invested in prevention programmes”

He added, “The magnitude of our effort is mirrored within the statistics of our drug provide discount actions. We’ve arrested 52, 901 drug traffickers, together with 48 barons, in three and half years. Over 9, 000 of the suspects have been convicted in court docket. We’ve additionally seized over the identical intervals 7.6 million kilograms of varied illicit substances.”

On his half, the Chairman, MTN Basis, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, urged the federal government in any respect ranges, “to develop and replace insurance policies, share the appropriate info with the final populace, and accomplice with one another to [present and execute a transparent plan to comprise and forestall the scourge in each sector.”