FELIX JEREMIAH

Besides  oil related activities in the oil rich Niger Delta region hich it’s inhabitants have continued to express worries that it has degraded the environment and it’s People in no small manner, another area of concern has been the prevalence of drugs of various dimensions.

The use of narcotic drugs and it’s negative effects on the People of most riverine Communities in the oil rich region  has been a thing of great concern to the Ijaw Visionary Movement (IVM).

This  informed  the Movement’s  determination to take the  anti drug abuse Campaigns  to the door steps of the United Nations for assistance on ways to fight the canker worm that is gradually eating deep into the fabrics of youths, women and men  in the riverine Communities.

The Campaign gave birth to the partnership between the Ijaw Visionary Movement and the United Nations  to brain storm on ways not only  to fight it but to nip it  in the bud.

This informed  a  one day  workshop that drew experts from far and near to Yenagoa  the  Bayelsa  State Capital  recently which  looked into the bad, the good and the ugly effects of narcotic drugs.

The experts came from the United Nations, the Nigeria Drug and Law Enforcement Agency  and the State Ministry of Health to sensitize on all facets of Narcotic drugs.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Easter Owei, President Ijaw Visionary Movement, noted that the IVM was formed  to exchange and formulate ideas that can develop  the Niger Delta region.

Owei  who gave reasons  behind  the Movement’s desire to embark on Campaign against nacotic drugs  disclosed that after critical investigations, it was discovered that the use of nacotic drugs in most of the remote riverine Communties, if not checked, may lead to the emergence of People  that might  not be useful  to the Society in the nearest future.

This informed  “Today’s programme on drug abuse , narcotic drugs – the negative effects in our Communties”, said Owei in his remarks.

According to him, the programme  is to “ensure  that our People are checked”, stressing  that hard drugs have been  a major destructive substance that is being consumed by our youths.

The IVM President advised  workshop attendees to be prepared to spread the message to all nocks  and crannies of the state and the Niger Delta region in general.

“Attendees should educate those not present in this workshop so that the message on how to stop drug abuse could be taken to our remote Communities where it is rampant”, he added.

In her lecture, titled : ‘Drug Demand Reduction’, Ms. Harsheth  Kaur Virk, Project Officer, United Nation Office on drugs and crime, looked at the use of Nacotic drugs from three perspectives including Intoxication, Dependent and Regular or excessive use  could also cause a crunitic  disorder .

Nacotic drug abuse, she added, could cause  a  multi factional disorder that often takes the course  of relapsing  and remixing .

“Drug user don’t get the attendance needed, Leads to family breakdown .Drug addiction often cause other health problems” said Virk  noting that  the poor are venerable to health disorders.

She says the  aims and objectives of  International  Drug Conventions are to develop ways of controlling  drug abuse in societies.

She lamented that out of 27% of drug users only 7% get access to treatment.

Major solutions to drug abuse is to  frequently educate users through workshops and seminars.

One major importance of drug prevention is to contribute positively to healthier society. Drug prevention, she added, is social as you are strengthening  family bonds,  Saying “socialization is key to
prevention.”

Drug dependence, according to Virk, is  a multi factional disorder that often takes the course of a relapsing  and remitting  chronic disorder as it is also Characterized by strong  desire or compulsion
for drug use, impaired  control over drug use, tolerance , withdrawal symptoms, neglect of other interests, persisting drug use despite harmful consequences.

Virk  says Drug dependence  is often not recognized as a multi factional health disorder but only a moral failure which could result into a social problem, into a criminal justice problem,  could result into only a pharmacological problem and  only a self -acquired disease based on free will considered not a problem

“Drug use is not the result of an  informed free choice but the result of the interaction of vulnerabilities, risk and protective factors .Drug  dependence is as much a disorder of the brain as any other mental  disorder”

On  Mechanism of the relationship between poverty  and mental health problems, Virk says  it could result into Low level of education , the experience of insecurity, hopelessness, rapid social change ,  risks
of violence, physical ill health and the greater vulnerability of the poor to common mental disorder.

Rev. Azini Matthias, of the  Ministry of Health Bayelsa State, delved on the topic ‘Mental Health,  viewed Drug abuse from the perspective of  different authorities including  cultural,  generalization and specific specialization concept.

Describing drug abuse as the use, usually by self-administration of any drug in a manner disapproved by medical or social norms of a given culture, Azini says  the definitions are generalizations which cuts
across all fields of medicine and societal norms, ” more so, when we
consider the definition of drug”.

“A drug is a chemical substance, natural or synthetic, which has an action on body metabolism. This action may be

According to him,  the World Health Organization defined  drug addiction  as “a behavioural pattern of drug use characterized by overwhelming  involvement with the use of a drug,  compulsive drug-seeking behaviour, and a high tendency to relapse after withdrawal”.

Dr. Chia Francis of the NDLEA, in his presentation titled: Drug Abuse and Crime in Nigeria, decried that the problem of drug abuse and crime in Nigeria is such that many Nigerians have metaphorically described crime as one of the fastest growing  business in the Country.This, accorodmg to him, constitutes one of the major problems facing  the a nation today.

He pointed out that crimes such as armed robbery, rape, kidnapping, and other crimes are  mostly  associated with the use of drugs.

He further pointed out that while the rate of crime in Nigeria is rising  automatically, there is also a constant rising level of drug abuse in the  Country.

According to him, the relationship between illicit drug use and criminal  activity  has been repeatedly demonstrated over the past few decades and that there is considerable evidence to suggest that drug
use is associated  with criminal  behavior.

He said drug users will engage in criminal activities more than non drug  abusers.Moneys generated from crime are used to buy drugs . Drug addicts are also enslaved as they are unable to control  their use of the drug  and spend  so much money on drugs that they become incapable of supporting their drug habit by working at regular legitimate jobs. Consequently, they must engage in crime to raise money to support their drug habits, he added.