FG raises concern over drug abuse as it reaches epidemic proportion…

The Federal Government says it is concerned that in spite of efforts to curb drug abuse, the menace has reached an epidemic proportion and thus requires concerted efforts by all to curb it.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr Olufunso Adebiyi, said this on Monday in Abuja, during a news conference to commemorate the ‘2023 International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking’.

Adebiyi was represented by the Director, Food and Drugs Services, Mrs Olubunmi Aribeana.

According to him, drug trafficking and use are not only a threat to the security, governance and development of a nation but also to the health of its citizenry.

“In as much as supply reduction strategies led by law enforcement and the application of criminal sanctions represent significant efforts towards curbing access to illicit drugs and their non-medical use, there is need to match such measures with innovative drug demand reduction strategies.

“Consequently, implementation of an all-inclusive and integrated approach with equal attention paid to drug supply and demand reduction is crucial.

“This is in line with the spirit of the three UN International Conventions on Drug Control established to protect human health by preventing drug abuse and dependence, and ensuring access to controlled medicines for medical and scientific purposes only.”

Drawing reference from the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, Adebiyi said that it was estimated that the prevalence of drug use in Nigeria was at 14.4 per cent.

This translates to 14.3 million people between the ages of 15 and 64 who use drugs like cannabis, amphetamines, tramadol, codeine and cocaine.

This, he said, was more than twice the global prevalence of 5.6 per cent among the adult population.

“The report also estimated 376,000 people to be high risk drug users with one in five of these persons injecting drugs.

He added that 78 per cent of those injecting drugs were men and that the most common drugs injected were pharmaceutical opioids (such as tramadol, codeine or morphine), followed by cocaine, heroin and tranquilisers.

It also estimated that among every four drug users in Nigeria, one was a woman and that one in five persons who had used drugs in the past year was suffering from drug use disorders.