Mothers urged to monitor their kids
“Young people are showing less disapproval of marijuana use and decreased perception that marijuana is dangerous. The growing perception of marijuana as a safe drug may reflect recent public discussions over “medical marijuana” and movements to legalize the drug for adult recreational use in some states.”
The above information was gleaned from National Institute on Drug Abuse website. This growing perception among youngsters that some illicit drugs are safe probably was one of the factors that forced the chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ahmadu Giade, to reveal on June, 26, 2014, the war being waged against drug abuse and present a helpline for addicts.
Giade assured people struggling with substance abuse that there was hope of breaking free from drug addiction. Addressing drug addicts across the nation, Giade said: “I present to you today a message of hope, that drug use disorders are preventable and treatable.” He said that NDLEA has drug abuse prevention experts who carry out enlightenment programmes in schools, markets and work places.
There are also counselors who assist drug dependent persons to overcome drug use and addiction. Counseling services are available in all NDLEA 36 State offices and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja. He further said: “In 2013 alone, a total of 3,271 drug dependent persons were successfully counselled in NDLEA facilities nationwide. This comprises of 3,062 males and 209 females. We also received report of 802 treated cases from hospitals and other drug dependence treatment centres in Nigeria.”
Drug addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain disease characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use regardless of the harmful consequence, said Giade. Giade stated that in 2011, the number of drug related deaths across the globe was estimated to be over 200,000. Most of those deaths were among the younger population of users and were, to a large extent, preventable. Opioids he said remained the most common group of substances involved in drug related issues.
Giade who also said that there are multiple factors to drug abuse, added: “The risk of addiction is influenced by a combination of factors such as individual genetic predisposition, environment and age among others.
Nigeria has made remarkable effort in drug supply control such as high profile arrest of drug traffickers and drug seizures. Others include destruction of cannabis farms and dismantling of clandestine drug laboratories.” Buttressing his argument that NDLEA has made effort in drug control and supply, Giade said that in 2013, a total of 8,843 persons were investigated in connection with drug trafficking.
They include 8,324 males and 519 females. Illicit drugs seized weighed 339,968kg. The breakdown is as follows; cannabis 205,373kg, psychotropic substances Director General of the NDLEA, Mrs. Roli Bode George said that she was prepared to vigorously pursue the vision of the Agency.
“My mission is to contribute my quota towards NDLEA’s efforts towards a drugfree society. Efforts must be geared towards cutting off drug supply to drug addicts and reducing demand for drugs through effective enlightenment programmes. Drug prevention programmes must be elaborate, involving families, schools, communities and the media,” she stated. Roli appealed to mothers to monitor their children to know their friends and prevent deviant behaviour.
Roli said: “Peer influence is one of the predisposing risk factors to drug abuse. Mothers must take time off their busy schedule to monitor their children and guide them on the right path in life. This is a problem that does not discriminate, so we must take responsibility.”
Roli said that NDLEA has a master plan, to show love to the drug abusers, and not to kick them away like they had done something bad. “What we want to do is to advocate, spread through our partners the United Nation Office of Drug and Crime (UNODC), visit the tertiary organization, the judiciary for financial help for those abusing the drugs, so it will give them entitlement and not go into drugs again.” She charged mothers: “As a mother, if you notice your children with red eyes and becoming violent, you should not keep silent about it, but seek advice.”
Giade, who noted that drug abuse and addiction were not restricted to only city dwellers, revealed that NDLEA was working hard to make sure it reached the rural areas, so that people would know more about the abuse of drugs. He added that plans were on top gear, to get social service numbers, where concerned people can reach NDLEA. He said: “NDLEA is currently working with UNODC and European union to strengthen and upgrade drug treatment centers to international standard.”
The UNODC Project Officer, Mr. William Wu also added his voice to the message of hope, noting that the UNODC was working with the NDLEA to eradicate the problem of drug production, trafficking and abuse in Nigeria. Giade urged parents whose wards are drug dependent not to die in silence but seek assistance.
“This clearly shows that drug dependent persons surely need help and love just like any other sick patient. People should seek help and in good time,” urged Giade. UNODC estimates that about 230 million people or 5 percent of the world population used illegal drugs at least once in 2010.
Global treatment for drug abuse is believed to cost $250 billion dollars per year if everyone that needed help received proper care. Apart from death, crimes committed by people who need money to finance drug abuse habits pose a serious threat to peace and security.
There is also the attendant problem of low productivity resulting from drug abuse by workers. People who use drugs tend to show signs of drug abuse in every aspect of their lives.
It’s common for an addict to miss work, neglect family obligations and have financial problems. Addiction consumes the addict’s life, and finding the next high is the most important thing. If the drug has a powerful enough hold over the person, he or she may resort to stealing money to buy drugs. You might notice money or valuable items disappearing from your home.
You might notice a change in your loved one’s sleeping patterns. Some drugs keep you awake for a long period of time, causing you to fall asleep when you come down from your high.
Other drugs relax you, so that you sleep more often than normal. Physical signs of drug abuse vary depending on the type of drug the person is using. However, some common symptoms include a decline in physical appearance, sudden weight loss or weight gain, dilated pupils and bad dental hygiene.
The symptoms of drug abuse vary depending on the person. According to HelpGuide.org, common symptoms include using drugs to get rid of withdrawal symptoms, a tolerance to the substance and a continued use of drugs even though you know it’s hurting you. Treatment programmes help drug users by getting them off drugs and curing the chemical dependency.
While some recovering drug users report that they experience urges to use the substance they were addicted to months after treatment, the programmes give the person the tools he or she needs to live a happy and healthy life.
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