Ms Zainab Usman, the Coordinator of Young Ambassadors Against Drug Abuse (YAADAI), an NGO, has called for the review the rehabilitation law to enable the organisation to rehabilitee victims of drug abuse.
Usman made the call in an interview with newsmen on Saturday at a campaign against drug abuse, organised by YAADAI for youths and women in Pigba community, Apo, Abuja.
She said that the rehabilitation law stated that a victim must concede before anyone could rehabilitate him or her, “but you know in most cases, drug addicts would not cooperate.
“We are also having issue with places to rehabilitate the victims because National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) will want you to take care of the person you are bringing and even at the agency, they do not have facilities.
“Government should improve funding for NDLEA to enable the agency to have functional facilities to perform effectively.
“Also, the Presidential Advisory Committee on Drug Abuse should start activities to be able to eradicate drug abuse in the country.”
The coordinator said that the NGO was in Pigba community to create awareness on the dangers of drug abuse and encourage youths to embrace education.
She explained that if youths were meaningfully engaged, they would not be involved in vices, including drug abuse and becoming commercial sex workers.
She said “we have so many youths who could not further their education in this community and they have only primary school, some have become sex workers, which led them into taking drugs.”
According to her, the NGO has been partnering with Unique Stars Foundation to engage youths in football and also collaborating with other groups to teach them some skills.
Mr Andeyatso Kifari, an official of Federal Ministry of Health, said drug abuse could affect the brain and normal perspectives of a person.
Kifari, an official of Pharmacist/Narcotics and Abuse unit, Food and Drug Services Department in the ministry, said taking hard drugs could also cause infertility.
He said “it can also cause crisis in family; those into drugs do not relate well with their friends and family members.”
Mr Labbo Sulaima, the Principal Staff Officer, Drug Demand Reduction, NDLEA, FCT Command, said drug abuse had become a serious problem in the country.
Sulaima said the agency had worked so much to control the use of hard drugs and had been involving in public enlightenment and education, focusing on youths.
Dr Aisha Garuba, a Medical Doctor who advised youths to shun harmful substances because of its health impact, said “it affects the brain and damages vital organs in the body.”
Some students at the event pledged to be ambassadors against drug abuse and to share the information they learnt with their friends and family members.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that YAADAI had organised similar campaign in six states and six communities in FCT in the past one year with the theme “Effect of Drug Abuse on Youths to National Development.”
The event was organised in collaboration with UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Unique Star Foundation.(NAN)
