Nigeria: Enforce Ban On Susbtance, Drug Abuse – Kaduna Community Cries Out  

Residents of ‘Black Street’ at Sabon Tasha, in the Kaduna State Capital, Northwest Nigeria,  have called on government at all levels  to tighten their nose on the implementation of the ban on Substance and Drugs abuse across the country.

This, according to them, may be the only way to eliminate substance and drugs abuse amongst the people,  especially women and young girls.

The call came at a one day sensitization campaign on “The Involvement and Effect of Substance Abuse Among Women, held at Black Street, Sabon Tasha, Kaduna State, with the theme: “Better Knowledge for Better Care: Ensuring A Drug Free Community for Women”, organized by the Center for Media Advocacy for Mother and Child, otherwise known as CAMAC.

Black Street is a community in Kaduna, where a high number of people who live there are drugs addicts, with women and young girls not excluded.

The sensitization was organized for women because of the increasing rate of women who are now into drugs and substance abuse in Kaduna state.

The women who were remorseful of the acts after listening to the resource persons, noted that abusing drugs has negatively impacted their lives and that of their relatives, but that the only reason they are still into it,  is because the drugs are available and affordable for them

They therefore asked the government to be strict on its ban and be hard on sellers so that hard drugs will become difficult to get. This they said might help reduce the rate of abuse and allow them to change their lifestyle.

Some of them also pleaded with the government to come to their rescue by taking them for rehabilitation as they are already tired of taking drugs. Their fears is that if they should stop without being rehabilitated, it might become more dangerous for them to live.

The women thanked CAMAC, team for coming to them with what they called “a message of hope and encouragement”, praying that God will grant them more grace to reach more people whose lives are already in serious danger as a result of drugs addiction.

Earlier, one of the Resource Persons, Mr. Caleb Mark Ishaya of Benjamin Bisan Shekari Foundation (BBSF)’ had explained that those who abuses substance and drugs always have their body systems altered part from the mental and psychological effects it has on them.

He further enumerated some of the effects of drug abuse as; violence, damaged cell, chronic infection, untimely deaths, restlessness, brain tumor or diseases, damaged reproductive organs amongst others.

He advised that on no account should drugs be taken without doctor’s prescription, this he said will amount to abuse, and later to addiction if it continues.

Some of the factors leading to drug abuse, Mr. Caleb, said are; culture, advertisements, unemployment, low self esteem, socio-economic status, peer pressure and many more.

In his remarks, Executive Director of CAMAC, Alex Uangbaoje, said abusing drugs are not just dangerous to the health of the women, but  also dangerous to the health of their children and the unborn children.

According to him, statistics have shown that a high percentage of youths and women in Kaduna State are into drug abuse, This he noted, calls for serious concern, as it has become imperative for everyone to join hands to save the future for women and young girls in Kaduna state.

Represented by CAMAC’s Head of Administration, Mr. Samuel Otitolaiye, the ED, added, “we are aware that poverty, depression, heartbreaks amongst others are some the major reason women and young girls go into drugs.

“But as an NGO focused on advocating for the good of women and children in Nigeria, we thought it wise to bring a message that could transform their lives for the better.

“The truth is that we are all aware of the effects of drugs and substance abuse, so many of us here can attest to that fact that the way our lives were because finding ourselves in this circumstance is not what we are today.

“The reason we are here today is for all of us to join hands to find lasting solution on how we can be free forever from this situation that has enslaved us for a longtime.”