By Patrick Ahanor Benin City
A Professor of mental health at the University of Port Harcourt, Princewill Chukwuemeka, has advocated the inclusion of drug related matters, including the use of psychoactive substances prevalent among children, into basic education curriculum. He explained that this would help in educating young people of the eff ect of illicit drugs and check the burden of mental illnesses and deaths. “
Th e curriculum should be rich in content because preventive measure is better than curative approach”, Chukwuemeka said. Th e varsity don stated this while delivering a lecture at a three-day workshop organised by the Drug Abuse, Treatment, Education and Research (DATER) unit of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric hospital, Edo state; in partnership with the United Nations offi ce on Drug Crime (UNOC) and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA). In the lecture entitled: “Attaining Sustainable Drug Free Communities in Schools: Reality or Myth?”, Chukwuemeka warned that the United Nations Offi ce on Drugs and Crime (UNOC) offi ce would disengage its support for research and medical aids for the treatment and research for drug related ailment to some countries, including Nigeria in 2019. He attributed lack of eff ective parenting, poor upbringing of wards and peer infl uence to drug abuse.
Also speaking, the Medical Director, Federal NeuroPsychiatric Hospital, Uselu, Benin City, Dr. Sunday Olotu, said the workshop was aimed at generating ideas from professionals in health and education sectors to address the current challenges in line with the mandate of the United Nations and the European Union on drug abuse elimination. Olotu admonished relevant agencies of government, including ministries of education to set agenda for public discuss on anti drug campaigns, drug education, sexuality education and social education to teach students on how not to abuse drug
