The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says the Agency’s Drug Demand Reduction Department has been galvanised and working non-stop to ensure that the health aspect of the drug abuse calculus is getting adequate attention.
This is contained in a statement by Femi Babafemi, Director, Media and Advocacy
NDLEA Headquarters Abuja and issued to newsmen on Monday.
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Marwa disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday as part of activities to kickstart activities to mark this year’s UN Day against Drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking under the theme: Addressing Drug Challenges in Health and Humanitarian Crises.
According to him, a number of other measures are currently being taken to strengthen the process.
He explained that the Agency’s policy of Drug Integrity Test is predicated on getting help to drug users suffering in silence because they cannot seek the needed health treatment due to social stigma and discrimination.
“This is why in a short while from now, we’ll be unveiling the NDLEA Call Centre that will be manned by professionals and experts in counselling, psychotherapy, psychology, psychiatry and more to offer help to drug users who will make use of our toll-free lines to seek counselling hours.
“This will also enable those afraid of stigmatization to be able to seek help without necessarily being seen or identified by anyone.
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“Even as we rev up our drug supply reduction offensive, it is certain that we are not relenting on getting help to those suffering from drug use disorder,” Marwa said.
He said the forthcoming sensitization training on Drug Prevention, Treatment and Care (DPTC) for Governors Wives would bolster the effort to ensure that the consequences of drug abuse are nipped in the bud and prevented from snowballing into a public health problem that would overwhelm our society in the long run.
This year’s theme will go a long way in directing our attention to an area that requires collective effort to stave off future catastrophes,” he said.
While appreciating President Muhammadu Buhari for the support so far given to the Agency to fulfill its mandate, Marwa also recognised immense contributions from international partners such as EU, UNODC and other stakeholders in the fight against the drug menace.
In his remarks, Country Representative of UNODC, Mr. Oliver Stolpe urged governments at all levels in Nigeria, candidates for political offices and international partners not to lose sight of the public health crisis caused by drug use in the country.
His words, based on the 2017/2018 data, we estimated that close to 6 million persons in Nigeria could be living with a drug use dependency. This creates a massive public health challenge.
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Our key policy on this World Drug Day to the Federal and state governments, to the international development partners as well as to the candidates for political office is not to lose sight of the public health crisis caused by drug use.
“What is being invested right now is nowhere near sufficient to cater for the needs of millions of persons living with a drug use dependency and even less so to mount drug use prevention programmes reaching both children in and out of school and providing them and their families with the knowledge and skills to avoid engaging in dangerous drug use and developing drug use disorders.”
