A female and youngest member of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon Rukayyat Shittu, has urged the National Assembly to amend the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s (NDLEA) Act to include all other drugs and substances including liquor, in addition to tobacco as prohibited.
She also asked NASS to include the news and broadcast media as part of the public places where such illicit drugs and substances are prohibited.
Shittu, who represents Owode/ Onire constituency of Asa local government area is the chairperson, House Committee on Information, Youth, Sports and Tourism.
The lawmaker had sponsored a motion on the urgent need for safety regulations against content-promoting consumption of illicit drugs/substances in social media as well as the broadcast media on the floor of the state House of Assembly.
She noted that the abuse of drugs and other substances and associated crime have driven a considerable rise in the number of youths imprisoned in recent years.
“A report by the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) in Nigeria indicates that 14.4% (14.3 million) of persons aged between 15 and 64years abuse drugs. Drug and substance abuse is prevalent across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones,” she said.
The lawmaker lamented that, “most entertainment celebrities have made it a culture to display drug-related clips on their various social media platforms and music videos, which makes efforts against drug abuse almost impossible,” she said.
“Big Brother Naija and other entertainment content producers have also made it a culture to promote drug abuse-related content in their various reality shows and other media content.
“Note that this Motion on the regulation against exposure to drug abuse content on social media, music videos, movies, and other media contents doesn’t seek to infringe on individual rights to live as they desire, but rather, it seeks to limit exposure to drug abuse related contents on media space, especially on social media, music videos, skits, and movies,” the lawmaker clarified.
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