KEY POINTS
- Among Nigerians, 14.3 million people abuse drugs, and many of them commit crimes.
- NAFDAC starts “Catch Them Young” to work in schools and stop drug problems with teens.
- NAFDAC works with secondary schools nationwide to stop teenagers from taking drugs
Each month, an estimated 14.3 million Nigerians use drugs, according to Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, head of NAFDAC.
At NAFDAC’s Catch Them Young launch in Port Harcourt, director Adeyeye spoke about disturbing numbers showing how drugs hurt families, individuals, and society’s economy.
NAFDAC research shows that illegal drug users are four times more likely to face criminal charges related to drugs. In total arrests, 73 percent were for having drugs on them, 12 percent for stealing, 5 percent for sex work, and 4 percent for burglary.
Professor Adeyeye pointed out that police records only show a part of the problem, since many drug crimes go unreported. Her serious warning about how drugs affect families and harm the nation caused NAFDAC to start taking precautions to stop this damage.
NAFDAC uses middle schools to raise awareness
NAFDAC’s ‘Catch Them Young’ project targets secondary school youth because drugs affect them more than any other school age group.
According to Mr. Onogwu Emmanuel, the Rivers State NAFDAC Coordinator, the program is meant to educate students and teach them how to decide smartly about drugs and alcohol.
“What we’re doing here is creating open talk amongst students to show them both legal and illegal drug risks,” added Prof. Adeyeye.
NAFDAC is testing their program in six different schools, with two schools representing each senatorial district in Rivers State. The principal from Government Secondary School in Rumuokwuta thanked NAFDAC for their efforts and asked them to keep doing what they do so students can grow up healthy.
