The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has advised youths and adolescents to avoid drug abuse to avoid the consequences.
By Chimezie Anaso
The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has advised youths and adolescents to avoid drug abuse to avoid the consequences.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Christiana Adeyeye, gave advice during the inauguration of NAFDAC Consumer Safety Club (NCSC) at the Community Secondary School, Okpuno, Awka, on Friday.
Adeyeye was represented by Mr Uche Madubuatta, the Coordinator of NAFDAC in Anambra.
She said that NCSC was one of the agency’s special public enlightenment strategies targeting youths in an effort to eradicate fake/substandard regulated products.
She said that NAFDAC was taking the campaign against drug abuse to the grassroots by re-establishing NCSC in secondary schools.
Adeyeye said that NAFDAC would collaborate with school teachers to work with students to ‘catch them young’ and prevent life of addiction and destruction.
“We enjoin you to be agents of change by propagating the right virtues that can lead to behavioural change.
“Use your membership of NCSC to assist in information flow on NAFDAC regulatory activities and promote the fight against drug abuse, and fake and counterfeit products.
“NAFDAC’s mission is to mould a future generation that is not only empowered to be upright, but demand uprightness from others,” she said.
The director-general described drug abuse as excessive use of psychoactive drugs, such as alcohol, or consumption of illegal drugs which could lead to physical, social or emotional harm.
She listed negative consequences of drug abuse by teenagers to include drug dependence, poor judgment, high-risk sexual behaviour, mental health disorders and poor academic performance.
“A recent household drug use survey revealed that prescription drug abuse is a fast-emerging public health problem.
“It is estimated that 14.4 per cent or 14.3 million Nigerians are victims of drug abuse, this is alarming,” she said.
The NAFDAC team was received by Mrs Maureen Onwuemenam, the Principal of the school, who thanked the organisation and assured it that she would ensure the efforts would yield desired results. (NAN)
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