Lately, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Tincan Island Command, introduced that it intercepted, between Could 17 and October 23, 2024, 16 containers of illicit substances, unregistered pharmaceutical merchandise, and different gadgets discharged with a duty-paid worth of N4bn.
Giving particulars of the seizures, the Customs Space Controller in control of the command, Dera Nnadi, defined that among the containers have been carrying quite a few shipments of cough syrups with codeine, barcadin, broncleer, and DSP for throat and chesty cough packaged in 100ml, 200ml bottles per carton.
Others contained 420 cartons of Royal 225 (Tapentadol HVCL 125mg and Carisoprodol BP 100mg), 200 cartons of 5mg Benzhexol Tablets (Model: Trodal, 77 packets of hashish sativa weighing 38.5kg, 532 packets weighing 265.025kg, and 75 packets weighing 37.5kg, Actually Further model packed in 50mg, 100 packs per carton.
We recall that in 2018, the United Nations Workplace on Drug and Crime in Nigeria (UNODC) indicated in its drug use survey that 14.4 per cent (14.3 million) of Nigerians are concerned in drug abuse. Nonetheless, sadly, six years later, the determine has remained static and, maybe, will improve if a brand new survey is performed.
That is even because the Nationwide Drug Regulation Enforcement Company (NDLEA) stated in October 2024 that the company seized 761,000 tonnes of illicit medication and substances between January 2021 and March 2024.
Based on it, the 14.3 million Nigerian drug abusers are throughout the age vary of 15 to 64 years, including that extra girls at the moment are getting concerned.
This newspaper is fearful over the alarming pattern of the involvement of girls in drug abuse within the nation. The report by the company claims that one in each 4 drug abuse circumstances is a girl. Sadly, there’s a big hole within the availability and accessibility of drug remedy companies within the nation.
For us, this has so many implications if extra girls are going into drug use as a result of it signifies that the normal function of girls in households and communities as caregivers, function fashions, and stay moulders will probably be threatened, elevating questions in regards to the high quality of kids these girls are going to deliver up.
Within the 2018 report, the UNODC defined that Nigeria remodeled from a mere transit nation for drug trafficking to a serious shopper and even producer of illicit substances.
It said that the nation began by being a transit nation, consuming possibly hashish, alcohol, and all of that, then it graduated to heroin and cocaine, however right this moment, regrettably, Nigeria isn’t just transit; it’s a big shopper, and it isn’t simply cultivator of hashish, it’s now producing medication, equivalent to methamphetamine, which is very addictive and really potent.
Except for this, this newspaper is conscious of the truth that many of those drug abusers additionally bask in family substances like methylated spirit, glue, nail polish, paint thinner, fermented urine, and even the heads of matches, as these contribute to the complexity of the drug abuse problem.
This isn’t helped by the truth that younger persons are getting inventive and modern find new methods to get ‘excessive’.
The Govt Director of UNODC, Ghada Waly, stated that drug manufacturing, trafficking, and use proceed to exacerbate instability and inequality whereas inflicting untold hurt to individuals’s well being, security and well-being.
The usage of these medication could trigger blackouts, poisoning, overdose and demise; bodily and psychological dependence; injury to important organs such because the mind, coronary heart, and liver; incapacity to be taught and bear in mind data; and psychological issues together with despair, psychosis, and extreme nervousness.
On its half, the Nationwide Company for Meals and Drug Administration and Management (NAFDAC) has described the drug abuse scenario within the nation as very alarming,
We recognise the efforts of the northern governors’ wives of their advocacy efforts through the years to attract consideration to the risks of the menace of drug abuse, arising from the survey that an estimated annual prevalence of drug customers within the North-East zone is 13.6 per cent, which interprets to over two million customers.
The survey indicated that Gombe State alone has a 21 per cent prevalence, increased than the nationwide common.
Within the opinion of this newspaper, the problem of drug abuse has turn out to be a rising public well being concern, and the severity of the scenario is a reminder that all of us have roles to play.
Therefore, the combat towards the menace wants all stakeholders’ efforts to attain significant success and rid the nation of illicit medication.
Because the chairman of the NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (retd) stated the prioritisation of remedy utilizing rehabilitation centres is symbolic of the collective resolve to confront the scourge of dependancy with compassion and humanity.
We have to get society to take possession of the anti-drug abuse initiative as a result of, with a way of shared duty amongst residents, each effort would shortly yield the specified outcomes.
