Druge Abuse: “:Nigeria hosts 10.6 million Drug Addicts” NDLEA
Track Upnews
19 November 2022
The Chairman of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa has revealed that Nigeria now hosts 10.6 million young people, who abuse marijuana and other hard substances.
He made the shocking revelation while delivering a lecture on ‘Drug abuse among youths in Africa: Implications for Nigerian economy and 2023 elections’ at the 10th anniversary of Realnews, an online magazine on Friday in Lagos.
The NDLEA Boss who decried the growing consumption of cannabis among youths. noted: that it is disturbing that abusing marijuana and alcohol is the new normal for youths, especially the Gen Z and even the Millenials.
He blamed the society for the rise in drug abuse among youths, stating: “Today, you have all sorts of pro-cannabis groups, movements and activists all over the place. They make it seem as if smoking cannabis is innocuous and not dangerous to health, and, therefore, should be an inalienable right of the smoker.“Even some politicians and institutions, focused on the economic gains of cultivation of cannabis, are ready to liberalise commercialisation of the plant.
He explained that all the above sends mixed messages to young people.
Marwa warned that legalisation of cannabis and related substances would spell doom for a country like Nigeria that is still struggling with developmental issues.
While reliving milestones attained since assuming headship of the NDLEA 22 months ago, he said they include arrest of 19, 341 drug offenders and conviction of 3,111, besides seizure of 5.5 million kilogrammes of assorted hard substances among others.
