Drug Abuse Responsible For Prevalent Mental Disorders Among Youths – Abubakar

A psychiatrist with the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital in Bauchi (ATBUTH), Dr Fawwaz Faruq Yakubu, has linked the rising cases of drug abuse to the increase in mental disorders among youths in the state. 

Fawwaz said in an interview with LEADERSHIP Sunday that over 90 percent of psychiatric patients at the hospital are drug addicts who resorted to narcotic substances.  

He said oftentimes, people with mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia may turn to drugs or alcohol as a way of coping with the symptoms.

The psychiatrist said substance abuse can lead to or exacerbate mental health issues, hence the need for all stakeholders to work towards arresting the menace of drug abuse especially among youths. 

He said prevalence of drug abuse is the root cause of most mental health diseases reported in the state.

Dr Fawwaz said the growing number of substance dealers in communities also gives premise to the menace. “Drug hawkers are everywhere trading in illicit drugs,” he said. 

Between August 2022 and June this year, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Bauchi arrested 372 drug offenders; discovered and harvested cannabis farms in four local government areas and prosecuted 103 drug traffickers.