Drug Abuse: NGO trains volunteers to curb menace

A Non-Governmental Organisation, Useful Youth Vision Concept (UYVC), says it has trained 200 volunteers in secondary and tertiary schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to help in combating drug abuse.

Founder of the organisation, Mrs Adetokunbo Shonibare, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday that the target of the group was to boost counselling services, which were vital to the war against drug abuse.

According to her, many youths are into drugs today because they lack an understanding of the effects of drug abuse.

Shonibare said that drug abuse had marred the future of some Nigerian youths, adding that counselling, rehabilitating and reintegrating were major ways to help an addict out of the scourge and be fully recovered.

“People are yet to understand the value of counselling for recovery from drugs.

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“There is a challenge of culture by residents; people don’t talk on these issues but prefer to be quiet so as not to be laughed at.

“But, I assure you that if we don’t address this issue, it will destroy us all.

“When we counsel them, we help them with tools that trigger them off drugs; counselling helps one to explore and eliminate drug addiction at some point,” she said.

She called on residents to break the silence by speaking out on drug addiction so as to help the victims, families and society.

The NGO boss said that the organisation was working hard to create a warm and trusting space, where addicts and their loved ones would get the necessary support.

She said that the “space’’ would also avail the public of information and necessary advice about addiction.

“This approach will alleviate the destructive impact of drug addiction on society,” she added.