Mojisola Adeyeye, director-general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has said that about 14.3 million Nigerians are victims of drug abuse.  

Mrs Adeyeye stated this at the inaugural ceremony of the agency’s youth programme, tagged ‘’Catch Them Young,’’ held at the Government Secondary School, Rumuokwuta, Port Harcourt, on Wednesday.  

According to her, research findings show that one out of every four high-risk drug users has been arrested for drug-related offences.  

She said that the arrests included 73 per cent for drug possession, 12 per cent for theft, five per cent for sex work, four per cent for burglary, and two per cent for shoplifting.  

“Note that this data only shows the number of arrests; if we consider that most crimes are unreported, then we will see that we have a huge problem on our hands,’’ she said.  

Mrs Adeyeye, however, noted the negative effects of drug abuse on families, society, and the nation’s socio-economic development.  

She explained that the situation caused NAFDAC to initiate a comprehensive, coordinated, and intensive programme designed to reduce the prevalence of drug abuse among secondary school students.  

According to the DG, drug addiction can arise from both legal substances, such as prescribed medicines, and illicit drugs.  

“This programme is not designed to scare anyone but to have honest conversations with you.  

“This will help you to take informed decisions with regards to illicit drug use, including alcohol consumption,’’ she said.  

Speaking earlier, Onogwu Emmanuel, state coordinator of NAFDAC, Rivers, stated the reason behind the sensitisation and capacity-building programme being moved to secondary schools.  

He explained that secondary students were most vulnerable, adding that youths, as future leaders, should actively participate in preventing drug abuse.  

He, however, said that two schools were selected from each of the three senatorial zones of the state for the pilot phase of the project.  

In her remarks, the principal of the school, Gladys Iheumamme, commended NAFDAC for the project and urged it to sustain it in order to save the future of Nigerian youth.  

(NAN)