Foundation advocates closing of knowledge gap to end drug abuse among young people

The Executive Director of Busaosowo Foundation, a non-profit organisation, Busaosowo Bisong, has advocated for the closing of the knowledge gap that exists among parents, teachers, caregivers and young people as a way of ending the menace of drug abuse.

Bisong noted that as a result of the knowledge gap, parents are not able to lead effective conversations with their children on issues around drug abuse.

He said this in his presentation at the Enugu Stakeholders Summit on Drug Abuse Prevention, which took place on Saturday at the Centre for Memories Ncheta Ndigbo, Enugu, Enugu State.

The summit, organised with the intent of brainstorming effective ways to prevent drug and substance abuse at home, school, community and the workplace, had the partnership of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and was supported by the Speak Up, Stand Out (SUSO) Programme.

Speaking on the theme, ‘Drug Abuse Among Young People:What are we not saying?’ Bisong said, “There is a knowledge gap between parents and their children as it relates to drug abuse and because of this knowledge gap, they are not able to lead effective conversations with their children on the subject of drug abuse.

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“Advocacy around drug abuse must move from information about the dangers of drug abuse to addressing the risk factors for drug abuse among young people. Effective parenting remains a major tool for drug abuse prevention”

He noted that the knowledge gap identified by the Foundation prompted it to develop and publish a trainers’ booklet on drug abuse titled, ‘The Drug Abuse Prevention Trainers’ Booklet,’ which, in his opinion, is the first local content comprehensive guide on drug abuse prevention in Nigeria.

The booklet, which was unveiled during the summit, is free of charge courtesy of the Global Youth Mobilisation Fund and is available in electronic and print formats with the electronic format available on the Foundation’s website.

The Enugu Assistant State Commander, NDLEA, Ome Adjai Eyeuche, said the agency had observed that some parents try to cover up their children’s drug addiction until the situation worsens, calling on them to seek help early.

In his presentation titled, ‘Commonly Abused Drugs in Enugu,’ Eyeuche averred that marijuana and cocaine were the most abused drugs in the state, while noting that the average age of drug abuse victims in the state was 16-35.

The Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Foundation, Rev. Levi Chukwunenye, while unveiling the trainers’ booklet, described the Foundation’s work as “not just as an intervention but an innovation in drug abuse prevention as it provides first hand information about the drug abuse situation in the state and Nigeria at last.”

During an open session, participants at the summit shared thoughts on the issue of drug abuse in the state, made recommendations and charged the state government on the need to consider drug abuse among young people as a public health concern.

The participants also urged school owners to have drug abuse prevention programmes running in their schools, while parents were called on to blaze the trail by discussing issues around drug abuse with young people around them.

The summit had 73 participants from other agencies and organisations including the Nigeria Correctional Service, Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), The Nigeria Police Force, The Diocesean Women Organisation of the Anglican Communion, schools, CSOs, members of the disability community, churches and mosques.