The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has ramped up efforts to combat drug abuse by launching sensitisation campaign targeted at Secondary Schools across the Territory.
This initiative aims to raise awareness among young people on the dangers of drug abuse and equip them with the knowledge to make informed decisions.Speaking at the event at the Government Secondary School, Garki, Head of Non-Communicable Diseases Division, Public Health Department, Dr. Olubunmi Adeyemi, noted the importance of early intervention to prevent increased drug use among young people.
She explained that the Senior Secondary students are within the demography of people who are prone to drug use and need the information to understand the dangers associated with indulging in drug abuse.Her words: “Creating this awareness will empower them to say no and be decisive about issues of substance abuse”.
Adeyemi reiterated the FCTA’s commitment to curb the menace among school-age students hence the reason for campaign; adding that Government Secondary Schools in Gwarimpa I District (Life Camp), Lugbe, and Dutse Alhaji will also be visited in the coming days.Also speaking at the occasion,Head of Mental Healthcare Unit, Public Health Department, Cordelia Obi- Anyanwu, said the students were at a critical stage of life where every decision impacts their future.
She called on the students to say ‘No’ to drugs and ‘Yes’ to a brighter future.According to Obi-Anyanwu, substance abuse have devastating effects on not just the individual using but their families, and the society.
Meanwhile in her presentation, a Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr. Monturayo Oyelohunnu, revealed that addiction to drugs affects both how the brain looks which is it’s structure and how it functions overtime.
Oyelohunnu said that the implications of substance abuse are numerous as it affects every organ in the body including the brain.She explained that young adults between 11 and 24 years old whose brains develop very fast tend to lose control of their activities once they start using drugs and start behaving irrationally.Abuja Digest reports that according to the data from the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime shows 14.3 million people reported using drugs in 2024.
