Drug abuse, the serial killer

THE abuse of different drugs and substances in Nigeria could be equated to the activity of a serial killer. Drug abuse in Nigeria cuts across religious and ethnic boundaries as well as social strata, ages and profession. It is eating deep into the fibers of the society. The media and other stakeholders have placed serious emphasis on this subject matter especially on the high rate of abuse among youths. But it will be an act of self-deceit if we only point accusing fingers to the “youths” alone.

The frustrated housewife uses codeine or tramadol to escape the reality of the frustration in her marriage. The happily married wife who wants to impress her husband sexually also takes some stimulant to enable her feel ecstasy. The public speaker, politician, musician etc, also take one form of stimulant to enable him/her face the crowd. The nursing mother who feels that her baby disturbs a lot takes some too and breast feeds her baby for the baby to sleep not minding the health implication it has on her or the baby. The religious fanatic whose religion prohibits alcohol finds the use of drugs a convenient alternative especially since it is usually mixed with beverages and no religious Holy book condemns it.

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The youths and juvenile engage in drug abuse for reasons ranging from poor parental background, peer pressure to temporary escape the realities of academic and societal pressures. It is interesting to know that the law enforcement agents and health workers who are key stakeholders in the fight against drug abuse are also victims of this serial killer. A close interaction with a nurse whom I observed is addicted to marijuana and how effective she carries out her job narrates her story “it makes me very active in the hospital, I become more friendly with patients, in fact my matron commends me for hard work each time I work under the influence of marijuana.”

It is high time Nigerians stood in solidarity and conquer this serial killer in the name of drug abuse just the way we stood in solidarity against Ebola because the catastrophe that drug abuse is about to cause to the Nigerian society is worst than what most of us envision. It is not a problem of a few in the society as almost every household in Nigeria has someone who is secretly or openly into drug abuse. Families will be torn apart because of the harm done by the junky or junkies in the family which might include but not limited to rape, stealing, murder to mention a few.

• Ekpe Madonna Uchechi, Kano