Drugs: UNODC Trains Media Practitioners

By Golok Nanmwa,Jos

In response to drugs and related organised crime in the country the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) funded by European Union (EU) on Monday trained Journalists in Jos the Plateau state .

Speaking at the occasion one of the resource persons who is the Executive Director of Charishealth care and community support initiative Hon Praise Mwueseter presented staggering findings on the drug situation in the country one alarming finding was on the use of cababus she said about 10 .6 Nigerians use canabis in the country .

“It is also estimated that 14. 3 million people aged 15 and 65years had used drugs excluding alcohol and tobacco, and one out of 7 have used drugs in the past year aged 15 to 65′.

“The survey further revealed that 10.6million Nigerians abuse opioids while 2.4 million youths and adults abuse codeine based syrup with thousands more using cocaine.”
Additionally evidence also points to the increasing crime rate due to high level of illicit drug misuse in the society .

Hon further revealed that ‘ more than a lack of knowledge about drug and their consequences, evidence points to factors such as personality traits, mental health disorders, family neglect and abuse, poor attachment to schools and communities and growing up in deprived and marginal Environmental as risk factors to drug use. Therefore attention must be paid to the prevention of drug use,sensitization on drug and related issues increase knowledge and awareness thereby reducing stigma associated with drug use at the levels of Community and among key influencers.

She further advised Nigerian youths to shun any form of drug miss use as a precondition for healthier and productive life.

She called for a comprehensive Drug policy for the nation that would emphasize prevention through education among youths, treatment of drug dependence individuals using public health responses instead of criminization and punitive measure.
UNODC funded by European Union is supporting the Nigeria government to
“promote a balanced approach to drug control with equal attention paid to drug interdiction and drug demand reduction including drug prevention ,treatment and care DPTC”.

CHARIS is implementing this Traininings on behalf of UNODC.This is day one of the 3 workshop to sensitization media practitioners on DPTC on the plateau .

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Drugs: UNODC Trains Media Practitioners