Stakeholders Strategise Against Drug, Substance Abuse Among Youths

The Centre for Applied Spiritual Science Educational Foundation (CASS) has organised a public awareness campaign for critical stakeholders on drug and substance abuse and prevention among youths in Plateau State.

The awareness campaign with the theme; ‘Religious and Faith Leaders to the Rescue” was held in Jos at the weekend.

One of the keynote speakers, Dr. Charles Dickson who spoke on the topic; “How drug abusers’ actions affect them, their families and communities”,  said N200,000 is needed daily for the treatment of drug and substance abuse patients in rehabilitation homes.

According to him, what people do not understand is that substance abuse and rehabilitation is a capital intensive venture. He stressed that in a rehabilitation home, you put the person like a conventional hospital, but the drugs are very expensive, and they go through sections while the facility also needs to be maintained.

He said one of the challenges in managing drug and substance abuse patients is the struggle between faith-based rehabilitation and scientific and clinical rehabilitation, adding that is where the cost comes into the frame work.

He said the fact that Nigeria only recently passed a mental health bill regulation into law tells the volume of the problem at hand which needs to be tackled headlong.

He added that communities are battered as a result of youths engaging in drug and substance abuse. noting that the menace of substance abuse among young Nigerians is a collective battle that needs to be tackled.