CECILIA DAVID recalls salient revelations at the recent seminar organised by Blueprint Newspaper in collaboration with the federal Ministry of Health, in Abuja.
Consider this sobering fact: over one million illegal drug retail outlets operate across the country. Without requisite registration and supervision by regulatory agencies, these outlets have become heaps of sales of illegal drugs to the teeming youth.
Unfortunately, while the lives of this productive force of the country are being destroyed, those behind the mammoth number of drug outlets have field days and smile to the bank daily at the expense of the vulnerable, impressionable and unsuspecting youths across the country.
Drug abuse is one of the foremost critical challenges confronting millions of youths across many countries across the world. Call it drug indiscipline or drug irresponsibility; it refers to the same problem – reckless indulgence in a vice whose consequence can be quite deadly.
Not so long ago, drug abusers concentrated mainly on substances like Indian hemp, cocaine, and the like. However, some otherwise innocuous patient medicines, such as medicines with codeine contents, such as cough syrups have joined the list of substances frequently abused by the youth.
It is against this backdrop that Blueprint Newspapers, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, recently organized a two-day seminar on drug indiscipline for experts and practitioners to brainstorm on the dangers of misuse and abuse of drugs, and proffering solutions to the menace.
The event was described as timely as it brings to the fore some salient issues desperately begging for attention as regard the use and misuse of drugs among the youth.
The event drew participants from relevant federal/state ministries and agencies, local governments as well as the federal and state legislatures.
In his address, President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Ahmed Ibrahim Yakasai, disclosed at the seminar that: “It is a statement, of fact that while there are less than 2,000 registered pharmacies, there exists over a million different drug sellers who are all unregistered”
He said not only are the unregistered drug vendors operating all over country, they are doing so with utter recklessness and without any fear of arrest or prosecution.
“As it is the tradition of criminal elements, they never give a damn about the possible consequence of the fake or killer drugs they peddle. With an eye on their profit margin these peddlers are ever-ready to supply even toddlers with any drugs they desire – as long as the kids can pay.
“These hawkers of killer drugs are on the prowl: in public buses, trains, markets, schools, worship centres, parks, etc, making brisk business. Some of the make unverifiable claims, such as claim of magisterial finality of drugs to cure HIV/AIDS, Cancer, Ebola, in one fell swoop.
Clearly, such menace cannot be allowed to continue to fester. Something needs to be done. And fast too, hence the management of Blueprint with Federal Ministry of Health seminar on drug misuse.”
Proprietor and Chairman, Blueprint Newspapers, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, in his welcome address, said the menace of inappropriate use of drugs, has reached a level whereby all hands must be on deck to halt the worrisome trend.
In this regard, Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, announced that a National Prescription Policy (NPP) was being developed by the ministry to checkmate the cancer – like menace.
“We need more media houses to support the efforts of government in sensitizing the populace on health issues of national importance like this,” he said.
Indeed, the crusade to rid the country of killer drugs on the one hand and drug indiscipline on other needs the support of all stakeholders. All compatriots and corporate bodies should see this as a task that must be done, for Nigeria’s children, and for the sake of the society as a whole.