A recent survey by the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime revealed that 14.4% of Nigerians between the ages of 15 and 64 consume drugs, which has caused Peter Obi, a member of the Labour Party (LP), to voice his grave worry. The difference between this number and the 5.6% worldwide average is substantial.
Former Anambra State governor Obi ascribed this worrying trend to poor leadership, pervasive poverty, dissatisfaction, young peer pressure, and high unemployment rates. He noted that these elements have a role in the high rate of drug and alcohol consumption among young people in Nigeria.
In a statement issued in honour of the World International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Obi emphasised the terrible health effects of drug usage, including increased mental illness and juvenile suicidal conduct.
The Labour Party’s presidential candidate praised the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s (NDLEA) efforts to fight drug usage but underlined the need for the government to take more steps to prevent young people from slipping even farther into the drug addiction trap.
Obi urged more government assistance and involvement to deal with this urgent situation. He emphasised the need of putting in place all-encompassing plans that concentrate on prevention, rehabilitation, and generating chances for young empowerment.
Below is a link to the complete statement.
“On this International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, we are reminded of the persistent threat of drug misuse among our kids and the necessity to take proactive measures to combat it.
According to research by the UNODC in Nigeria, 14.4% of Nigerians between the ages of 15 and 64 engage in drug usage. This is a lot higher than the 5.6% average for the whole world.
“The country’s lack of effective leadership, the high rates of poverty and resentment, the pressure adolescents experience from their peer groups, the high unemployment rate, etc., are some of the major contributors to drug and substance misuse among young people.
“The accompanying health issues brought on by drug usage are unthinkable. They consist of a rise in teenage suicidal behaviour and occurrences of mental illness. While we are grateful for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s (NDLEA) persistent efforts to battle the drug misuse epidemic in the nation, more has to be done by the government to prevent the young, who make up the bulk of our productive workforce, from further slipping into drug addiction.
“We will progressively eradicate this social evil by not stigmatising our people who have developed a drug addiction and by putting policies in place to stop other individuals from falling victim to the fatal web.
“I have always said that the New Nigeria would be based on the production and population of our young. Our young must be protected from all sorts of drug usage and illegal drug trafficking, according to Obi.
