TheNewsGuru

Tag: Drug abuse

  • Reports of patients suffering from Chloroquine poisoning surges in Lagos hospitals

    Reports of patients suffering from Chloroquine poisoning surges in Lagos hospitals

    Hospitals in Lagos state have started receiving patients suffering from chloroquine poisoning, says Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s Senior Special Assistant on Health, Dr Oreoluwa Finnih.

    She urged people against massive consumption of Chloroquine as a measure to fight Coronavirus.

    According to her, there is a lot of unverified information in circulation about the pandemic, and that it was important for people to be sure of their facts before taking any medication.

    This development was disclosed by SSA to the Governor of Lagos State on New Media, Gawat Jubril, via his Twitter account.

  • NAFDAC raises alarm over prevalence of drug addicts

    NAFDAC raises alarm over prevalence of drug addicts

    The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says Nigeria is sitting on a keg of gun powder due to what it described as the high rate and prevalence of drug addicts across the country.

    The agency said it was shocking that Nigeria was leading even beyond the international coverage of drug abuse globally.

    The Director, Public Affairs, NAFDAC, Dr Abubakar Jimoh, said this on Saturday while speaking with newsmen in Ilorin.

    Jimoh said the agency has an average conservative estimate of about 15 million people who are on drugs and 3 million of them could be conveniently called drug addicts.

    According to him, this development had forced the agency to conclude that the level of drug abuse has led to the high level of violence, kidnapping, terrorism, armed robbery and even dangerous driving by some Nigerian drivers.

    He said most youths under the age bracket of 19 to 22 and even parents, both male and female, have seriously engaged in taking hard concoction.

    Jimoh recalled that NAFDAC had recently destroyed billions of Naira worth of containers loaded with tramadol and other related hard drugs which if it had ordinarily gone into circulation would have destroyed several lives.

    He also disclosed that NAFDAC had shifted away from being just a mere regulatory agency of public health institutions, but now a key driver in the present transformation agenda in changing the diversification of the economy.

    He said that NAFDAC was controlling the chemicals imported by the petrochemical industries into the country.

    He said the agency has now been laying emphasis on the promotion and development of the Small and Medium Size Enterprise (SMEs).

  • Psychiatrist raises alarm over drug abuse in Adamawa

    Dr Marcus Vandi, Head of Psychiatric Unit, Yola Specialist Hospital, Adamawa, has raised alarm over the increasing rate of drug abuse among youths in the state.

    Vandi, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Yola, expressed concern over the increasing rate of drug abuse among different age groups.

    According to him, the hospital admits over 100 cases with mental and other related health issues.

    ”The use of psychoactive drugs especially among youths, is becoming an issue of concern.

    ”On daily basis, the hospital receives between three to five mental cases mostly related to drug abuse.”

    He said that almost all the patients were males between ages 13 and 55.

    Vandi advised parents to inculcate good moral upbringing in their children, to enable them to stay away from drugs.

    He said that the hospital lacked modern equipment and adequate personnel and urged the state and Federal Government to support the hospital in these areas.

  • Drug abuse: NDLEA sets up Drug Control Committee

    As part of efforts to address cases of drug abuse in Gombe State, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has set up a committee on drug control.
    The agency’s state commandant, Mr Aliyu Adole said this at a pre-inaugural meeting of the State Drug Control Committee in Gombe on Thursday.
    According to him, the pre-inaugural meeting is to enable members of the committee to brainstorm on ways to tackle drug situation in the state.
    Adole said the committee had become necessary in order to engage more persons and organisations as key stakeholders in the fight against drug abuse.
    According to him, Gov. Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe will chair the committee.
    The NDLEA boss said that the high level of drug abuse in the state was alarming.
    He said that the agency seized 256.52kgs of drugs between January and October.
    “We are setting up a Drug Control Committee as directed by the headquarters, to address the alarming cases of drug abuse in Gombe.
    “The committee will be chaired by Gov. Dankwambo.
    “This committee will engage more stakeholders by involving persons from different organisations and the media to make the fight a collective one in view of the dangers of drug abuse on our youths.
    “ So far, in the year 2018, over 52 males had been arrested, out of which 30 convictions had been secured and 22 are awaiting trials’’, Adole said.
    Mr Hussaini Dan-Gombe, the Deputy Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Gombe State Ministry of Information, pledged the support of the ministry toward sensitising the public on the effects of drug abuse on the youth.
    Dan-Gombe emphasised the need for a collaborative approach to tackle the menace in the state.
    Also speaking, Mr Abdussalam Mohammed, the Acting Director, Public Prosecution, Gombe State Ministry of Justice, stressed the need for the enactment of specific laws to address issues of drug abuse in the states.
    NAN

  • EU, UNODC support ‘Vision of the Child 2018’ initiative to tackle drug abuse

    EU, UNODC support ‘Vision of the Child 2018’ initiative to tackle drug abuse

    The Creative Youth Community Development Initiative (CYCDI) is partnering the European Union and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to commemorate the 2018 edition of its annual ‘Vision of the Child’ to raise drug prevention awareness amongst youths and vulnerable adults. The event is also to spurn creativities and the rich intellectual resources of the targeted group.

    The event is to showcase 17 VoTC participants drawn from 17 schools in Lagos nominated for 2018 Edition. They will be required to make creative presentations and solutions on the project focus: “Sensitization on the nature of drug use, drug dependence, prevention”.

    Participants are to begin with awareness programme, followed by submission and presentation of a literary piece — essay, story and poem before a live audience by June 2018. They will undergo series of training, networking and group pairing before their final presentation.

    The final research works of the participants are expected to be submitted on the 3rd of June through their customized page on (www.visionofthechild.com.ng). They will be invited for training on 8th of June, where participants will have opportunities to discuss their project work with UNODC staffs, art tutors, literature teachers, educationist and special VoTC facilitators that will guide them throughout their adventure.

    On Saturday June 15, the 17 VoTC researchers will participate in a live Painting Presentation in Lagos. The VoTC exhibition will be opened formally later in the month of June; followed by a special event on the 26th of June 2018 to mark International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. The project outcome is expected to produce a sensitization movie to support the campaign against the menace of Drug Abuse in support of EU-UNODC “Response to Drugs and Related Organized Crime in Nigeria”.

    The Vision of The Child is a yearly programme, inaugurated in April 2012 with the theme ‘The Vision of the Child’. The maiden edition laid the groundwork for subsequent editions, each of which addressed cogent and themes that touched on the socio-political and cultural realities of the country. These are

    (2012) -“The Vision of the Child”

    (2013) -“The Thousand and One Faces Of Corruption”

    (2014) – “The Rule of Law And The Law Of Impunity”

    (2015) – “The Road to Sambisa” – United Nations Sustainable Goal 5 and Goal 4

    (2016) – “Sisi-Eko@50:Ageing gracefully? Or Na So So Pancake”

    (2017) – “Enhance the Heritage, Advance the Future –Project Development.

    Over 3000 children from primary and secondary schools, ages between 8 -16 years have benefited from VoTC since inception. The project has produced over one hundred and seventy-three (173) paintings and drawings by the student finalists, and these works are expected to be mounted in a permanent exhibition soon.

    The Vision of the Child is being implemented by Creative Youth Community Development Initiative (CYCDI), an organisation committed to promotion of education and creative development, innovation and entrepreneurship in children, youth and women. One of CYCDI’s project; Creative Youth Initiative Against Corruption (CYIAC) recently won the United Nations SDG Awards in Innovator Category in Bonn, Germany in March 2018. A total of 740 organisations from 7 continents and 125 countries were nominated for the global award.

  • FG trains 200 principals on drug abuse prevention in schools

    FG trains 200 principals on drug abuse prevention in schools

    The Federal Ministry of Education has trained 200 schools principals in Kebbi have been trained on drug abuse prevention in their schools, to stem the tide of drug abuse among students.

    The Director Education Support Service Department in the ministry, Mrs Justina Ibe, said on Thursday in Birnin Kebbi during the training that the menace of drug abuse among students have become alarming.

    “We all have knowledge of the implications of drug abuse on personnel, social and family life and how the use of drugs is ravaging Nigerian youth.

    “I must say that there is no part of Nigeria that is free from this scourge, not even the rural communities.

    “That is why all hands must be on deck to confront and reduce the menace to the barest minimum,” she said.

    Ibe who was represented by Akinmarin Abiola said the programme was an evidence-based school drug prevention programme that emphasised comprehensive social influence approach to tobacco, alcohol and cannabis.

    She stressed that the menace had been on the increase among youth and children of school age.

    The director commended the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime and Wife of Kebbi Governor, Dr Zainab Bagudu, for organizing the training and inauguration of Community Volunteer Drug Counselors in February.

    She advised the state ministry of education, school authorities, teachers and parents to demonstrate commitment in checking the drug abuse menace.

    “The ministry should also ensure that adequate resources are provided so as to have a meaningful impact on the lives of youth in the state,” she added.

    In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, state Ministry of Education, Hajiya Rafa’atu Hammani, said the state was ready to support efforts at curbing drug abuse among students and stressed that all school principals would be properly trained on prevention measures.

    She added that counselors would be deployed to all schools to complement the efforts of the principals.

    NAN

  • Drug abuse: Police raid criminals’ hideouts in Jigawa

    Drug abuse: Police raid criminals’ hideouts in Jigawa

    The Police in Jigawa have embarked on raiding of hard drug dealers and other criminals’ hideouts to check criminal behaviours and drug abuse in the state.

    Superintendent of Police, Abdu Jinjiri, the Police Spokesman in the state, who made the disclosure in Dutse on Sunday, said the action was in compliance with the directive of the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Bala Zama.

    He said Zama had ordered officers and men of the command to constantly come down on drug peddlers, drug abusers and other criminals in the state.

    ‘‘The CP Jigawa state, Mr Bala Zama, directed the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the command to continually raid all black spots and criminal hideouts within and outside the state capital, with a view to making the state hot for criminals.

    ‘‘And among the targeted criminals are hard drugs dealers. So it is just to improve security in the state,’’ Jinjiri said.

    The spokesman, who declared that the command would not condone criminality tendencies, warned that criminals and other evil doers who failed to repent would face the wrath of the law.

    According to him, the command would not spare undesirable elements that refuse to change for better and live a peaceful life in the state.

    Jinjiri, therefore, advised the general public to report to law enforcement agencies people with suspicious characters for prompt action.

     

  • Pharmacists raise alarm over increased codeine abuse by youths

    The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) on Wednesday raised alarm over the increase in the abuse of pharmaceutical drugs especially cough syrups with codeine.

    The Vice President of PSN, Dr Daniel Orumwense, raised the alarm during the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists community awareness campaign on drug abuse, in Surulere, Lagos.

    The campaign had the theme: ”Drug Abuse and Misuse in the Community: A Collective Responsibility for All”.

    Orumwense was represented by Mrs Bukola Paul-Ozieh, a former Chairman, Lagos State Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria.

    The vice president noted that drugs altered the biological functions of the body through their chemical functions.

    According to him, such alteration could be beneficial or harmful.

    “Pharmaceutical drugs are meant to heal illness, but unfortunately, their abuse is on the increase, and a common drug abused is cough mixture that contains codeine.

    “The youth have realised that if they cannot get cocaine easily, they can just go to a pharmacy and get a cough syrup with codeine.

    “When it is used frequently without prescription, the person has started abusing the drug, and this will make him to feel `high’ (euphoria),” he said.

    Orumwense said that collaborative efforts of all stakeholders were needed to combat drug abuse.

    He urged the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control to intensify efforts to control the use of codeine.

    Orumwense listed reasons people abuse drugs to include environmental pressure, curiosity, social media effects and addiction.

    He urged regulatory authorities to monitor drugs markets and called for more public health campaign for the youth.

    Orumwense urged pharmacists to observe their oath of office and called on parents and community leaders to educate children and the youth on the need to avoid drug abuse.

    NAN

  • Task force to curb drug counterfeiting in Sokoto

    The Sokoto State Government on Friday inaugurated an inter-agency task force to fight drug abuse and circulation of counterfeit drugs and other unwholesome products.

    According to NAN, reports that the task force inaugurated by the state Health Commissioner, Dr Balarabe Kakale, had its membership drawn from ministries, military, voluntary organisations and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

    The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control and the National Security and Civil Defence Corps also has representation.

    Kakale said: “The state government set up the task force out of great concern for the future of our people, especially youths.

    ” The task force is to be creating awareness and sensitising the public to the dangers of drug abuse, and tackling circulation of substandard and counterfeit medicines.”

    The commissioner charged the members of the committee to discharge their assignment without fear or favour.

    The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Alhaji Almustapha Othman, and the Director, Pharmaceutical Services, Alhaji Muhammad Musa, solicited the support of the state residents and other stakeholders for the success of the task force.

    He advised dealers on illicit drugs and other killer-substances to steer clear of the state.

    ” If they don’t heed to this clarion call, nemesis will soon catch up with them, as their days are numbered.

    ” The state government will leave no stone unturned to apprehend them,” Kakale warned.