BY Gabriel Udeh, Kaduna
Kaduna State Bureau for Substance Abuse, Prevention and Treatment (KADBUSA) said one-third of women in Kaduna state are involved in drug abuse and suffer addiction.
The Director General of the bureau, Dr. Joseph Maigari made the revelation Saturday in an interview with newsmen at the end of one day seminar organised by Kaduna chapter of Catholic Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria (CAMPN), on ‘War Against Drug Abuse’
According to him, “KADBUSA, in 2020 found that one third of Kaduna women have drug abuse problem. 10.10% of Kaduna residents have drug abuse problem, it is very worrisome”.
“About twenty percent of our youth have drug abuse problem, all of this fuels insurgency, banditry”, he said.
The DG therefore called on the government and Nigerians to reduce the supply of illicit drugs and to also reduce the demand for illicit drugs in Nigeria.
“We at KADBUSA are working tirelessly to bring about prevention on drug abuse by giving people information , educating and communicating with them for behavioural change”.
Also in her paper presentation on the ‘Effect Of Drug Abuse In Economy And National Security’, the Assistant Corp Commandant, Narcotics, National Drugs, Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Kaduna State, Mrs. Jatau Josephine said “drugs abuse has become a serious problem all over the world.
“We need drug abuse-free society and every hand must be on deck to fight it”.She said,
“There is no doubt that drug abuse is a canker warm that is eating deep into the fabrics of our society. Our children, men and women are daily being destroyed by drugs thereby rendering their livesuseless and the society unsecured.
“A drug is said to be abused when the drug is taken in a manner that deviates from medically approved or socially acceptable patterns withinthe society.
A drug is said to be abused when its use is not medically necessary”.
Earlier, Communication Director of Kaduna Catholic Archdiocese, Rev.Father Stephen Onyema said, “We hope to partner with more drugs agencies to fight drug abuse. We cannot talk about drug abuse without talking about the youth because they are directly and indirectly involved”.
Earlier in a welcome address, the CAMPAN Interim Committee Chairman Nicholas Dekera said the event was packeged to create awareness on dangers of drugs and substance abuse among youth towards ensuring drugs free society.
