Dangers of Drug Abuse
The menace of drug abuse among Nigerian youths
Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, is blessed with an abundance of natural resources, but what many say is Nigeria’s greatest blessing is its thriving youth population.
Of the over 200 million people that make up Nigeria’s population, more than 60% are 25 years or under. However, the menace of drug abuse, added to lack of adequate education and the high rate of unemployment, has become the bane of this country.
Drug abuse can simply be defined as the intake of illegal drugs or the taking of legal drugs illegally. It can also be referred to as the intake of any substance that has the ability to impair one’s natural senses.
In Nigeria, one can find all manner of illicit drugs, ranging from the more expensive cocaine, heroin, laced candies and chocolates, to the more affordable crystal meth, marijuana, codeine, etc. Yet there are people that have invented their own forms of “highness” such as sniffing of glue, and inhaling the vapour that oozes from pit latrines. Yes. Pit toilets.
In an economy such as Nigeria’s, where the unemployment level is already too high for comfort, the devastating effects of drug abuse on the economy of the country can only be imagined.
Drug abuse results directly in:
• Rising insecurity in the country
• Rising rate of illiteracy
• Low productivity
• High crime rate
In order to curb these menaces, the Nigerian government must as a matter of urgency:
- Enact strict laws against the smuggling of illegal drugs into the country
- Adequately punish law enforcement officers are found guilty of colluding with drug peddlers
- Put in place proper regulations for some legal drugs that could lead to addiction when not appropriately taken
- Enforce the regulation banning the sale of over the counter drugs without a doctor’s prescription
- Create enlightenment programmes that teach the young people the dangers of drug abuse
- Come up with attractive and rewarding options for young people who are willing to come off drugs and begin rehabilitation
- Create enabling environments for youths to be engaged in productive ventures
- Invest in vocational education in order to create jobs for the teeming youth population
- Make soft loans and grants available to youths running their own small businesses in order to empower them to even become job creators
The race against drug abuse in Nigeria is already being lost, however, if the needful is done as soon as possible, all hope is not lost. One thing is clear, the race to arrest the rising rate of drug abuse in Nigeria is a marathon, not a sprint.
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I will be looking forward to your comments....Thank You.
Thank you.... I will keep steeming!
You really hit the point, but one more thing is that the government alone can't employ all the youths, rather we should be looking up to being productive, and also inventory only then will all this change
You are right. But at least we need enabling environment to be productive. Some people are ready to do something for themselves and create jobs for others but the government will frustrate all your efforts till you give up and quit.
My sister, I'm from a poor background, but without any government work I'm living better today because I have chosen to change the story, I know the government is not helping matters but let's try our paths and God will also do his.
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Thank you @ghostfacer99 for the update. I will keep steeming while bearing the rules and regulations in mind.