Furthermore, he said “if you take an estimate of 10boys particularly in Kano, 7 out of the boys will be on one form of drug abuse or another”. The problem in these areas mentioned above can quickly spread to other parts of the North, if all hands are not on desk.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), substance abuse is the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs.with the estimate of about 76.3 million people struggle with alcohol use disorders contributing to 1.8 million deaths per year.
More so, the United Nations reported that around 185 million people globally over the age of 15 were consuming drugs by the end of the 20th century. No wonder it is said that Drug addiction, no doubt, has distressing and extremely awful consequences on the society. Violence, social deviance, mental disorders, upsurge in crime, corruption; destruction of individuals, erosion of societal values, undermining of national economies and premature death are some of the consequences of drug addiction.
Aisha, a Corper posted to Niger state for the Youth Service Corp (NYSC ) In 2017 batch. Through some of the rich spoilt kids,she was introduced to the so called codein and other harmful substance . She was found on the street completely helpless and could hardly make a complete sentence, neither could she stand by herself without any help. Worst still,she could hardly made it to the rest room without already messing up herself. It Was a near death situation when she was found on the street on the streets of Minna,Many thought she was mad,others claimed she had being used for rituals.By the time series of tests was carried out on her,it was confirmed by the doctors that she had being exposed to extreme substance and drugs abuse. According to her parent they said “she was better, even though she can hardly recognize anyone. Aisha,if she was not restless then she is standing in one particular spot just stairing at one particular direction,it can be scary at times and could take countless hours. Halocination the doctors call it . Even worst is that, Aisha had her hands and her legs chained to a metal just to restrict her from injuring herself or wondering off. There are thousands of young boys and girls going through the same predicament.Many amongs them wonder around the street or even worst dead.
Year in and year out we have heard the authorities claim to do something about the porosity of these substances on the streets. One will agree with me that it is only a theory that is always watered down. After several noise in the House of Assembly about what to do to save the situation and provide a lasting solution to this menace destroying the life's of our youths in the country.Eventually the flame of the matter dies out again.One among the many solution will be to tackle the unemployment issues in the youth sector.
Tackling the problem of unemployment in the country is relevant to reducing the menace of drug addiction among the youth in our society. According to a recent World Bank statistics, youth unemployment rate in Nigeria is 68%, but realistically, 80% of Nigerian youths are unemployed with secondary school graduates mostly found among unemployed rural population accounting for about half of this figure, while Universities and Polytechnic graduates make up the figure. What seems to be more worrisome is the fact that the nation’s Universities and Polytechnics continue to churn out more than 150,000 graduates both Bachelor’s degrees and Higher National Diploma annually and job creation has been inadequate to keep pace with the expanding working age population. Thus, idleness among youth could easily make drug addiction a fascinating option. The government have a major role to play in downsizing the further damages of this epidemic in our country. More So,parents have a major role to play also, must understand the importance of looking after their children. In their chase after economical values in the society they must also create time,spend time with their children. It is very important to inculcate moral values in the life of their children as this is the only way the society can be free from the menace of drugs and substance abuse.
Similarly, public enlightenment campaigns on the harmful effects of drug addiction must be stepped up by relevant government agencies, NGO, Faith Based Organizations, community leaders, traditional rulers, etc. Ignorance remains a major factor in drug addiction and so relevant stakeholders must continue to enlighten the youth on the evils of drug addiction and trafficking. Indeed, schools could include drug related issues in their curriculum. It is imperative that younger ones are taught the dangers that drug addiction pose to their health and future.
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