The warning was sounded by a former Commandant of the National Drugs Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Mohammed Kaka Jibrin while speaking as a Guest Speaker at a one-day North-East zone drug-free campaign organized by Arewa Young Leaders Initiative in collaboration with Big Church Foundation held at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Gombe.
He noted that a recent research has revealed that Nigerian youths have long gone into the abuse of unconventional psychoactive substances such as pawpaw leaf, paints, glue and petrol.
Other substances he listed as intoxicants are, correction fluid, rubber solution, nail polish/remover, kerosene, lizard dung/excreta, zakami (datura metal), soak-away or pit toilet fumes (biogenetic gas), unripe plantain back, old newspapers, furniture polish ‘shisha’, sukodai (suck and die), gaddedi, goskolo, benelin+codeine, cement sniffing, licking of toad back pineapple+milk and others.
The former NDLEA Commandant also regretted the unfortunate situation where the NDLEA is busy enforcing the provisions of its enabling laws in collaboration with other security agencies, government and nongovernmental organizations to control the abuse of the conventional hard-drugs such as cocaine, heroine, cannabis among others while abuse of unconventional drugs mentioned above is gaining high momentum.
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He lamented that “Presently, the abuse of most of these unconventional substances is not under any legal control”, adding that, “they are taken either by inhaling from paper, plastic bags, saturated handkerchief, drink directly from the can or bottle”.
“The absence of legislation against these substances coupled with their availability at little or no financial cost encourages the growing phenomenon of their abuse especially among the youth around the country”, he stated.
He then made recommendations and suggestions which include: encouraging the youths to develop personal skills to resist drug abuse just as he strongly called on government to provide laws against the abuse of unconventional substances.
In his words, “The National Assembly should amend the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency CAP N30 LFN, to incorporate new provision that will sanction the abuse of substances such as petrol, lizard excreta, gutter etc”.
and then