The abuse of prescription drugs is very rampant in Nigeria and has gone beyond codeine. This has recently led the Federal Government acting through the Ministry of Health to ban codeine, which is an active pharmaceutical ingredient for making cough syrup. This ban covers the production and import of the cough syrup containing codeine after a BBC investigation into its role in an addiction epidemic. The remaining stocks, however, could be sold with a prescription. The BBC investigation revealed that the syrup being sold on the black market are used by young Nigerians to get high.
The joint probe by the BBC’s news investigation unit, Africa Eye and BBC Pidgin prompted a very swift response from people across the country that included Nigeria’s, first lady; Aisha Buhari who was deeply saddened by the rise of the problem especially in the northern part of Nigeria and called on security agencies, lawmakers, judiciary, drug manufacturers, civil society, regulators, teachers, parents and neighbors to take this as a personal war and halt the menace.
The Nigerian Senate estimates that as many as three million bottles of codeine syrup are drunk every single day in just two states of Kano and Jigawa. Codeine syrup is commonly mixed with soft drinks and taken by young ones. Nigeria’s Drug Enforcement Agency is fighting this epidemic as a recent raid seized about 24,000 bottles of codeine syrup from a single lorry in Katsina state. The codeine is imported, but the syrup is made in Nigeria by more than 20 pharmaceutical companies.
While this courageous step by the Federal Government to ban codeine has been commended by various stakeholders, there are definitely many pertinent matters arising as a result.
There is little information on the alternative drugs of abuse within various cultures in Nigeria, which the abusers will resort to, to satisfy the urge. Some over the counter drugs, which are being abused, include certain antibiotics, antidiarrheal, laxatives, pain-relieving drugs, sedatives and amphetamines. The availability and possible medical needs of these drugs indicate that government must comprehensively review Nigeria’s drug policy rather than just ban one item. Tramadol is a painkiller but now being used as an ecstasy drug. The pill comes in different milligrams from 50 to 500. Above 200mg, it will cause a massive euphoric effect similar to what is gotten from marijuana and other drugs. It is also used to enhance libido and sexual performance. When used for a long time, it can result in serious health damage especially seizures. Rohypnol also known as roko, roofies, Roche is a tranquillizer about ten times more potent than valium taken with alcohol or assorted drinks or taken with marijuana or even injected. Usually employed for date rape for its paralyzing effect. Alabukun is a cheap painkiller usually obtained from hawkers and usually taken with alcohol to neutralize hangovers and often mixed with cocaine and other substances to be sniffed. Other drugs like aspirin used to numb muscles, emotional pains and sometimes create an exciting effect for the user, ameliorate despondent feelings and emotional trauma including depression among others. When abused it can become harmful to the body both physically and mentally. Apart from these synthetic products are locally available roots and leaves with psychoactive properties. The NDLEA needs to operate beyond the list of generic substances handed down by the UNODC and formulate strategies for collaborations with other societal institutions that can give useful information.
Beyond the ban of over the counter drugs and seizing marijuana and confiscation of farmlands used in cultivating marijuana, the mandate of the NDLEA saddled with the responsibility of checking drug abuse menace in this country needs to be overhauled and purged of its military psyche which has placed a skewed emphasis on the supply reduction while the huge task of demand reduction has been largely neglected.
The demand reduction mandate of the NDLEA exists merely as sporadic counselling sessions, some advocacy talks and locking up of offenders. The socio-economic and socio-cultural dynamics that feed the demand for the drug among our youths should be interrogated. This cannot be done when the NDLEA functions alone without a robust networking with other agencies, societal institutions and other stakeholders. The psychodynamics of drug abuse has shown that pertinent socio-economic issues in the family, irregular or half salary payments, school dropouts due to inability to pay school fees, pension payments default, insecurity, teenage motherhood and overcrowding or outright homelessness constitute an assault on the growing psyche of our young persons who have not developed mature coping mechanisms as they prefer the immature ones by employing chemicals to cope.
The family as the basic unit of the society must be strengthened through spiritual, social and intelligent social policy articulation that will attenuate the factors that make the abuse of psychoactive substances inevitable.
Dr Adeoye Oyewole
adeoyewole2000@yahoo.com
+234 803 490 5808 (WhatsApp Only)
Image Credits: ThisDayLive
@adejuwonsoyinka
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