By Ahmad Umar:
A former State Commander, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mohammed Kaka Jibrin has warned that Nigeria will soon get into a generation of drug abuse epidemic if the abuse of local substances are not checked.
Jibrin spoke as a guest speaker at a One-Day Northeast Zone Drug Free Campaign organized by Arewa Young Leaders Initiative in collaboration with Big Church Foundation held at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Gombe, northeast of the country.
He disclosed that a recent research has revealed that Nigerian youth have been engaging in the abuse of unconventional psychoactive substances such as pawpaw leaf, paint, glue and petrol.
Others, are correction fluid, rubber solution, nail polish/remover, kerosene, lizard fund/excreta, zakami (datura metal), soak away or pit toilet fumes (biogenetic gas), unripe plantain bark, old newspapers, furniture polish ‘shisha’, sukodai (suck and die), gaddedi, goskolo, benelin+codeine, cement sniffing, licking of toad back pineapple+milk and others.
Jibrin regretted the unfortunate situation where the NDLEA is busy enforcing the provisions of it’s enabling law in collaboration with other security agencies, government and non -governmental organizations to control the abuse of the conventional hard-drugs such as cocaine, heroine, cannabis among others, while abuse of unconventional drugs mentioned above is gaining momentum.
“Presently, the abuse of most of these unconventional substances is not under any legal control.
“They are taken either by inhaling from paper, plastic bags, saturated handkerchief, drink directly from the can or bottle.
“The absence of legislation against these substances coupled with their availability at little or no financial cost encourages the growing phenomenon of their abuse especially among the youth around the country”, he stated.
He suggested that youth should be encouraged to develop personal skills to resist drug abuse, while Government should make laws against the abuse of unconventional substances.
In his words, “The National Assembly should amend the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency CAP N30 LFN, to incorporate new provision that will sanction the abuse of substances such as petrol, lizard excreta, gutter etc” he said.
https://www.africaprimenews.com/2018/03/02/politics/nigeria-declare-state-of-emergency-on-drug-abuse-govs-tell-fg/