Senate Wants State Of Emergency On Drug Abuse

The Senate has called on the executive arm of government to declare a state of emergency on drug abuse.

The Red Chamber said drug abuse has become worrisome and urged the Ahmed Bola Tinubu-led government to declare a state of emergency on narcotics.

This followed a motion on the urgent need to address the menace of drug abuse sponsored by Sen Hussaini Babangida Uba (Jigawa North West).

The Senate also mandated its committees on Drugs and Narcotics to liaise with relevant agencies including NAFDAC, NDLEA to convene a national summit or conference to address the problem.

Uba lamented that illicit drug addiction has deeply permeated the Nigeria society so much so that young people of 15 years old and above, are now addicted to heavy narcotic drugs.

“According to a report by the United Nations Office On Drugs And Crime And the European Union On Drugs use in Nigeria, about 14.3million Nigerians between the age of 15 and 64 are drug abusers; 10.6 million addicts were cannabis users, 4.6 addicts used pharmaceutical opioids and 238 thousand drug abusers used amphetamines” he said.

He expressed concerns that the tragic phenomenon now affects all strata and demographic groups of our Nigeria society, hence the need for governments at all levels and the family unit to work closely to combat this menace.

He warned that failure to destroy narcotic drug addiction as a country, will destroy Nigeria.

In his ruling, Senate President Godswill Akpabio urged the Senate Committees on Drugs and Narcotics to liaise with NAFDAC, NDLEA to convene a national summit or conference to address the problem.