NDLEA, Seadogs Take Campaign on Dangers of Drug Abuse to Schools, Markets
From MAUREEN DICK, Port Harcourt
The Olympus Marino Deck of the National Association of Seadogs (NAS), in partnership with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital have enlightened secondary school students on the dangers of drug abuse.
NAS also known as Pyrates Confraternity, carried out the exercise yesterday, to Secondary schools and market places in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, campaigning against illicit drugs intake by youths.
Capoon, Olympus Marino, Kennedy Barango, who spoke at the Community Secondary School (CSS) Mgbuoshimini, Rumueme, Obio/Akpor, said the campaign was in commemoration of the 2024 World Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
Barango told the students that indulging in drug abuse will negatively affects their moral, social and psychological reasonings.
He said they chose secondary schools for this year’s campaign with the aim to catching them young, decrying the level of negative impacts of drug abuse on the youths and society.
Barango said: “Olympus Marino in collaboration with the Nigerian Medical Association, Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Port Harcourt, and NDLEA, decided to mark this World Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking today, and we have chosen to come to Community Secondary School, Mgbuoshimini to sensitize the students on the danger of the act.
“We believe that the best way to tackle this menace is to take it to the primary source of this abuse, and the philosophy is catch them young. In engaging the students, we will definitely curb the menace from the very root.”
He said: “We are giving them enlightenment to begin to drift from the act at an early age. The impact of the menace in society is far-reaching. It is the foundation of criminality in the society. We have increased rate of mentally deranged people because of use of illicit drugs abuse.”
Barango added: “Our encouragement is for everybody to pickup this campaign if they have dropped and speak on prevention of use of illicit drugs.”
On her part, a staff of NDLEA, Esther Ozurumba, advised the students to desist from being trapped in the menace of drug abuse.
She noted that the Chairman of the agency, Brig.-General Mohammed Marwa (rtd) has taken seriously the fight against the act across the country.
Also speaking, a mental health nurse with Psychiatric Hospital, Port Harcourt, Mr. Kaibe Nelson, said statistic revealed that over 14.6 percent of Nigerian youths are involved in excessive alcohol intake.
According to him: “In Rivers State, because of the volatile nature of the area, statistics proved that over 30 percent of youths are down with illicit drugs.”
He regretted that drug abuse has made so many of the young people to involve in criminal activities like, kidnapping, killings, homicide and other vices.
He said: “As someone who works in the psychiatric hospital, for every young person between the ages of 15-45 that comes to the hospital, we noticed that six out of every 10 patients admitted are down with drugs.”
Nelson said: “Every human being has a sense of reasoning because man in nature is made of different components, but we are talking of the brain. The psycho active elements in this illicit drugs they use, also affects the central nervous system.
“Some of the harmful effects include that those who engage so much in toxic element or alcohol, it damages their kidney, proliferate the free radicals in their system, they face challenges like cancer, anemia, lungs, others.”
However, Principal of CSS Mgbuoshimini, Chijioke Amadi, commended the groups for the enlightenment programme.
He said: “The programme was rich, the students were also happy and I am sure there will be a positive change at the end of the day.”
The theme for this the 2024 World Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking celebration, was “The Evidence is clear: Invest in Prevention.”