Dr Oluyemi Ogun, Medical Director, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, on Monday, said that drug abuse was fast becoming a pandemic in the country and should be addressed urgently.
Ogun made the call at the 8th Annual Symposium of Health Writers’ Association of Nigeria (HEWAN) in Lagos with the theme: “The Menace of Counterfeit Drugs: The Role of Regulatory Bodies.’’
She said that drug abuse was becoming a national problem as thousands of Nigerians, especially the youth used dangerous drug substances. “We have seen numerous scientific studies that highlight the physical damage — both to the brain and to the cardiovascular system — from drug abuse. “The ever-growing trend of drug abuse among Nigerian adults, and more importantly, teenagers calls for concern as we are heading towards a drug abuse crisis in the country.
“As I speak with you, every family in Nigeria is now affected. “The government is doing its best through its agencies such as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to combat this menace but they need more support,’’ she said.
Ogun said that depression, withdrawal, conduct problems, personality disorders, suicidal thoughts, short-term memory and learning were some of the mental health problems associated with substance abuse. She said that abuse could affect the emotional, financial and psychological well-being of the entire family as well as every major system in the human body. Ogun called on state governments to evolve their own strategies to combat this problem before it becomes intractable.
“I also urge religious bodies and the media to write more on the menace, to drum it into the hearing of the public so they can be more aware of drug abuse and the dangers that can develop from it,’’ she said.
Also, Mr Sam Eferaro, an online health editor, urged journalists to write more on the health challenges faced in the country to jeep the government and other related stakeholders on their toes. According to him, there was the need to redefine what is considered newsworthy when reporting on issues that concerns health through increased knowledge and understanding.
“Such regular reports can influence decisions on policies that will benefit the people,’’ Eferaro said.
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