The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Mojisola Adeyeye, has indicated that roughly 14.3 million Nigerians are victims of drug misuse.
Adeyeye stated this at the agency’s youth programme’s launch ceremony, titled ‘Catch Them Young,’ which took place on Wednesday at the Government Secondary School in Rumuokwuta, Port Harcourt.
According to her research findings, one out of every four high-risk drug users has been arrested for drug-related crimes.
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She stated that the arrests included 73% for drug possession, 12% for theft, 5% for sex work, 4% for burglary, and 2% for shoplifting.
“Note that this data only shows the number of arrests; if we consider that most crimes are unreported, then we will see that we have a huge problem on our hands,” she said.
Adeyeye, on the other hand, emphasised the harmful impact of drug abuse on families, society, and the country’s socioeconomic progress.
She explained that the circumstance prompted NAFDAC to launch a comprehensive, coordinated, and intensive campaign aimed at lowering the prevalence of drug usage among secondary pupils.
According to the DG, drug addiction can result from both legal (prescription) and illegal drugs.
“This programme is not designed to scare anyone but to have honest conversations with you.
“This will help you to make informed decisions with regards to illicit drug use, including alcohol consumption,’’ she said.
