World Drug Day: Advocates task FG on porosity of nation’s boarders

World Drug Day: Advocates task FG on porosity of nation’s boarders

Drug
By Lilian U. Okoro
Lagos, June 26, 2024 (NAN) Some mental health advocates have called on the Federal Government to intensify efforts to ensure more security, monitoring and tightening of the country’s borders where the drugs were being exported and imported into the country.

The experts made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) to commemorate the 2024 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Wednesday in Lagos.

According to them, this has become imperative in view of the persistent increasing rate of illicit drug trafficking and to curb the menace of drug abuse in the country.

NAN reports that the day is annually observed on June 26 as a global reminder to the urgent need to combat drug abuse and illicit trafficking.

Established by the UN in 1987, the day is also to strengthen action and cooperation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse, thorough comprehension of the social, economic and health consequences of drug use.

This 2024 edition of the global observance has the theme: “The Evidence is Clear: Invest In Prevention.”

Prof. Fatai Badru said that the country’s borders were too porous, thereby allowing for the free entry and exit of the drugs and illicit trafficking.

Badru, who is a Professor of Psychiatric Social Work, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, emphasised the need for full control and people policing at the borders to intercept the illicit drugs activities.

He emphasised the need for inter-agency collaboration in the fight against drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking, saying that all the necessary stakeholders must come together and be encouraged.

He said that the increasing rate of drug trafficking/abuse and its corresponding devastating effects made it pertinent for the enforcement agencies, including governments, families, policy-makers and organisations to collectively look at the issue with a view to addressing it.

Fatai explained that the forces of demand and supply for drugs were critical factors driving the increasing rate of drug abuse and illicit trafficking in the country.

According to him, if there is no supply of the drugs, there will be no demand for them, stressing the need for adequate control of the supply and demand for drugs.

He, therefore, urged the government to put in place policies that would drive people away from getting involved in drugs.

“Terminating the production of drugs is key in the efforts to prevent drug abuse/trafficking because if there is no supply of the drugs, there will be no demand for them.

“Let there be more security, monitoring and tightening of the country’s borders where some of these drugs are being exported and imported into the country.

“The laws regarding drugs abuse in the country should be reviewed, so as to have offenders dully punished. It will serve as deterrent to others.

“All the enforcement agencies including the government should collaborate in efforts to curb drug trafficking or drug abuse because it requires multidimensional approach.

“In doing that, there is need for a conducive environment such that, there will be no compromise of any sort from any quarter or agency; the government should ensure that all agencies and stakeholders are well renumerated.

“Therefore, credible individuals should be appointed to be at the helm of affairs of the enforcement/regulatory agencies to avoid settlement behind the scene,” Fatai said.

Speaking, Mrs Veronica Ezeh, a Psychiatric Nurse, called on parents to rise up to their responsibilities by ensuring that they monitor and guide their children to be responsible citizens.

Ezeh, who works with the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, said that parents were the first line of defence in successful efforts to prevent drug abuse.

According to her, good parenting can help to curb the alarming rate of drug abuse.

She attributed drug abuse largely to lack of proper parental upbringing as many parents were too busy to render adequate parental-care to their children.

Ezeh said that research indicated that young people who reported strong ties with their parents and families were significantly less likely to engage in risky behaviours, including substance abuse.

“Let parents rise up to their responsibilities by ensuring that they monitor the kind of friends their children relate with, keeping a close watch on their activities and change in behaviour.

“As a parent, take a step to monitor your children closely to know when they are getting involved with drugs because drug abuse is a secret habit which may be difficult to identify.

“If a parent is close or friendly with his/her child, having established good relationship with the child, such parent will be able to know when the child is going astray or getting involved in illicit drugs,” she said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
LUC/VIV

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Edited by Vivian Ihechu