Frustrated and humbled by increasing difficult economic conditions, pervasive social anomie, breakdown of age-old value system and discipline, most Nigerian youths now find solace in drug abuse, writes Adebayo Obajemu, Contributing Editor, makeitglobal.biz

Fadairo [not real name] is 24. But he looks much older. He also looks sick. His speech is slurred, his jaw hangs, and his body is emaciated. Yet, he boasts of being a lover of African Cocktail, a sobriquet for a harmful substance.

He did not start out this way. It was his peers whom he usually hanged out with at the Crossing Bus Stop, Agbado who convinced him that mere cigarette smoking could not make him “high.” so they introduced him to a more “harmless “drug, which was codeine mixed with Fanta. He claims this makes him feel manly.

23-year-old Ibukunoluwa who looks like she is 45, is a peddler of local gin at Alakuko, a suburb of Lagos. The substance is believed by her customers to be an aphrodisiac. She is a popular figure among that area’s ruffians. She says to makeitglobal.biz that what she sells has the “capacity to make men satisfy their wives, develop business and creative ideas and be happy.” On health implications, she dismisses the claim that it is harmful. “Forget, na whiteman dey deceive una. This thing is good for my health, “she says.

But drug abuse is not limited to the young people in the streets. There are young professionals who are also slaves to this habit. Ahmed [not real name], a civil servant in one of the ministries in Lagos is 40. He says he has no taste for the “small stuff” but rather goes for the “real thing.” so he says, referring to codeine mixed with Fanta, ”

He prefers cocaine to a blend cough syrup and soda. He even peddles the drug secretly to other addicts at night at Almaroof bus stop in Agbado, in the full glare of law enforcement agents. But whenever he runs out of stock, he goes for Coca cola mixed with codeine.

Little surprise that he has started to exhibit signs such as slurred and incoherent speech, unhealthy appearance, blood-shot eyes, dilated pupils and indifference to hygiene, among other signs that betray his addiction.

Ahmed says his wife deserted him three years ago because of his addiction.

‘’She used to advise me to change, but I could not. If I did I would fall sick. The thing I regret is that I could not take care of her because my salary goes into servicing my addiction,’’ he says.

Studies have shown that use of prescription drugs is a serious problem with teenagers and young adults. According to a National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) study, a teenager is more likely to have abused a prescription drug more than an illegal street drug.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse United States of America (NIDA) explains that “the excessive use of drugs can alter important brain areas that are necessary for life-sustaining functions and can drive the compulsive drug abuse that marks addiction’’

Drug abuse
A local outlet where drugs are sold

Drugs commonly abused

Medically, Codeine is a drug normally used in the management of pain and diarrhoea. Published reports show that it is widely abused because of its potential to produce euphoria (high mood) when consumed in excess. Hence, codeine abusers consume large quantities of cough syrup containing codeine, which leads to adverse effects like dependence, tolerance, sedation and euphoria. Other adverse effects may include constipation, dizziness, vomiting, headaches and dry mouth, the reports say.

Other pain relievers, which are also sometimes abused, include morphine, pentazocine, tramadol and pethidine.

There is also paracetamol, a household name that comes in different popular brand names such as Panadol, Boska and M&B. Due to its analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory properties, paracetamol is widely used – and frequently abused – for the treatment of fever and ache. Although relatively safe, especially when compared with other painkillers, if consumed in excess, it brings adverse effects such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and rashes. Therefore, patients are usually advised to consult the doctor if symptoms persist.

Another commonly abused drug is Aspirin. Aspirin belongs to the group of drugs called Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which are often used in the treatment of migraine, menstrual pain, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and other causes of pain. The brands include Alabukun and Phensic and others. The most common adverse effect of aspirin is peptic ulcer.

Antibiotics such as tetracycline, Flagyl and Cyprotap are also widely abused in Nigeria. Taken in excess, it could cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, dizziness and rashes among others. Flagyl in particular has been linked with adverse effects like loss of appetite, diarrhoea, vomiting, dizziness, headache, seizures, tremors and slurred speech.

Sedatives/Hypnotics refer to drugs commonly used in the treatment of sleep and anxiety disorders. Some of the common examples are Valium, Lexotan and so on. A prolonged use of these medications could cause respiratory depression, confusion, tolerance, dependence, visual disturbances, reduced libido (sexual drive) and headache. Interestingly, most Nigerian youths seem unaware of the danger of abusing drug.

A roll of weed
A roll of weed

Harmful substances like marijuana and cocaine are also abused.

According to a pharmacist, Adeyemi Kolapo, most of these drugs are purchased through people not licensed to sell. ‘’ You know money is the factor, and most of these abused drugs are purchased through underground channels. That is the challenge.’’

Samson Akinpelu, an alternative medicine expert says “drug abuse is a substance use disorder characterised by the use of a mood or behavior-altering substance in a maladaptive pattern resulting in significant impairment or distress, such as failure to fulfill social or occupational obligations or recurrent use in situations in which it is physically dangerous to do so or which end in legal problems, but without fulfilling the criteria for substance dependence.

“Specific disorders are named for their etiology, such as alcohol abuse and anabolic steroid abuse. DSM-IV includes specific abuse disorders for alcohol, amphetamines or similar substances, cannabis, cocaine, hallucinogens, inhalants, opioids, PCP or similar substances, and sedatives, hypnotic anxiolytics

Danger of abusing drugs

A study that examined the perception of drug abuse amongst Nigerian undergraduates living off-campus shows that most students have limited knowledge of what constitutes drug abuse.

Meanwhile, a consultant psychiatrist of the Department of Psychiatry Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Idi Araba Lagos, Dr Campbell Elizabeth Adebola tells makeitglobal,biz that all drugs do damage to the body, including codeine, alcohol and tramadol if they are abused.

“I have treated patients who have abused Tramadol, a pain killer of high dose of 250mg.” The doctor wonders where drug abusers get this high dose of drugs from when only hospitals are allowed to give them to patients, “he says.

https://www.makeitglobal.biz/youths-menace-drug-abuse/

Marijuana https://www.cbdornot.com/ is pretty much a safe drug. Even with long-term use, it has been proven that marijuana has significant physiological and psychological benefits. People will argue about the benefits, but a huge amount of research proving the safety of marijuana is not on their side.