UNITED NATIONS-NIGERIA: REHABILITATING DRUG ADDICTS

By Toye Olori Reprint | | Print |

TOYE OLORI

LAGOS, Dec 2 1994 (IPS) - THE UN DRUG CONTROL PROGRAMME (UNDCP), IN COLLABORATION WITH THE NIGERIA GOVERNMENT, IS CARRYING OUT A NUMBER OF PROJECTS TO TREAT AND REHABILITATE DRUG ABUSERS AND ADDICTS IN THE WEST AFRICAN COUNTRY.

“THE CAMPAIGNS ARE CARRIED OUT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY THROUGH THE NIGERIAN NATIONAL DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY (NDLEA) WITH DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES SUCH AS PROVISION OF AWARENESS MATERIALS, THEATRE PERFORMANCE AND WORKSHOPS,” THE UNDCP NIGERIA OFFICE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR TOLD IPS FRIDAY.

PINTONIO MAZZITELLI SAID THE FIRST 40,000-DOLLAR PROJECT, FOCUSSING ON PREVENTIVE EDUCATION THROUGH AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS AND FUNDED BY THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT, WAS SIGNED IN 1988.

THE SECOND PROJECT, WHICH FOCUSES ON TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION OF DRUG ADDICTS IS FUNDED BY THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY, WITH A BUDGET OF ABOUT 500,000 DOLLARS.

THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR SAID IT PROVIDES TWO DIFFERENT MAIN COMPONENTS — CONTROL OF ILLICIT DRUGS DISPENSED IN HOSPITALS AND SETTING UP OF TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION CENTRES.

“THE FIRST COMPONENT IS AIMED TO LIMIT AND KEEP UNDER CONTROL THE DISTRIBUTION OF PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES IN HOSPITALS. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE DRUG PROBLEM, WE MUST NOT FORGET THAT DRUGS ARE NOT ONLY HARD DRUGS BUT PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES WHICH CAN BE EASILY PURCHASED IN STORES. THEY HAVE BAD EFFECTS ON PEOPLE IF NOT CONSUMED UNDER MEDICAL CONTROL.”

DRUGS, INCLUDING POISON, ARE READILY AVAILABLE IN NIGERIA’S PHARMACIES AND ARE SOLD TO PEOPLE WITHOUT DOCTOR’S PRESCRIPTIONS. ACCORDING TO THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH, MORE THAN 10 MILLION NIGERIANS ARE ADDICTED TO VALIUM, ANALGESIC AND STIMULANTS.

A SURVEY OF DRUG ABUSERS CONDUCTED IN 1991 BY THE NDLEA AMONG 2,660 PARENTS AND STUDENTS IN LAGOS STATE AND REPLICATED IN KANO STATE IN 1992, SHOWS THAT ABOUT 27 PERCENT OF PARENTS AND 9.5 PERCENT OF STUDENTS USE VALIUM IN LAGOS, WHILE 7.9 PERCENT OF PARENTS AND 3.5 PERCENT OF STUDENTS USE THE SUBSTANCE IN KANO.

IT ALSO SHOWED THAT 11.4 PERCENT OF PARENTS AND SIX PERCENT OF STUDENTS IN LAGOS ABUSE REACTIVANTS, WHILE IN KANO 8.5 PERCENT OF PARENTS AND THREE PERCENT OF STUDENTS USE STIMULANTS.

ALMOST FOUR PERCENT OF PARENTS AND 4.3 PERCENT OF STUDENTS USE HEROIN AND COCAINE IN LAGOS AND 10.5 PERCENT OF PARENTS AND 2.4 PERCENT OF STUDENTS USE THE HARD DRUGS IN KANO STATE.