A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Meljenstin Youth Empowerment Initiative, in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has sensitized youths against drug abuse during an event in Festac Town, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos.
The event titled “Say No to Drug Abuse Youth Conference” had the NDLEA Area Commander for Festac, Mr Abdul Maiyaki, highlight the importance of sustained public awareness and strengthened drug control efforts to address the growing problem of drug addiction.
Maiyaki revealed: “All over the world, according to the United Nations, 280 million people use drugs. Out of that, 15 million are in Nigeria. Out of these, luckily, six million need help. You can have the problem, but since you don’t need help, we can’t force you. We have to agree to the fact that I have a problem and I need help, and then we can take it from there.”
A pharmacist, Sylvester Emeka Ugbala, also addressed the dangers of drug abuse, emphasizing its role in causing youths to make poor decisions under peer pressure.
The Assistant Commander of Narcotics, Afenfia Imoke, explained that the NDLEA launched the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari to combat drug addiction.