A report on drug use prevalence has shown that an estimated 10.8 million Nigerians used cannabis in 2017 while 4.6 million others used opioids for non-medical purposes.
The report also shows that the mean age of initiation for cannabis and non-medical use of pharmaceutical opioids use was 21 and 19 years respectively.
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Alh. Mamman Mahmuda, at the national discourse on the Danger of Non-Medical Use of Opioid Pharmaceuticals and Other Substances of Abuse, on Tuesday, in Abuja, said these alarming statistics provide a glimpse into the global drug use situation which recognises the growing non-medical use of opioids such as tramadol, codeine and morphine is a serious health concern.
Represented by the Director of Food and Drug, Dr Olubunkola Ajayi said, opioids, a general term used to describe opiates and their synthetic analogues with actions like those of morphine are the preferred class of analgesics for the treatment of moderate to severe pain.
“Thus these medicines when appropriately prescribed, dispensed and used, will improve the quality of life of persons suffering from specific medical conditions like trauma, sickle cell, cancer, anxiety and even opioid dependence.
“Drug abuse, illicit drug trafficking and related organized crime continue resulting from the non-medical use of pharmaceuticals and other substances like amphetamines, tranquillizers etc. pose serious threats the health, security,
governance and development of countries globally.”
“Thus the need for statistically-sound and policy-relevant data on the extent and pattern of drug use to inform policy formulation and decision making cannot be overemphasised.”
Mahmuda further said nations are also cognizant of the immense benefits of implementing evidence-based strategies in the prevention and treatment of drug and substance abuse as well as rehabilitation of drug users.
“Concerted efforts are constantly being made to strengthen global action and cooperation towards achieving drug-free societies.”
“An example of such is the yearly commemoration of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking observed on the 26th day of June to provide an avenue for in-depth discussions and appraisals of the world drug problem.”
“In the spirit of this year’s world, drug day themed ‘Share Facts On Drugs, Save Lives’ the Federal Ministry of Health has organized a three-day event to create awareness on drug issues, combat misinformation and promote sharing of scientific facts on drugs ranging from consequences of drug use to evidence-based strategies for drug abuse prevention and tackling the debilitating problem of drug abuse.”
“Effective collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Health and other organisations working on drug-related activities should propel further gains in reversing the alarming statistics reported in the 2018 National Drug Use Survey.”
Mahmuda called on all MDAs, CSOs, NGOs and development partners to consider the issue of drug abuse as a personal problem that must be dealt with before it destroys the fabric of society and together we can make our dream of a drug-free Nigeria come true.
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