By Joseph Erunke, Abuja

As part of its efforts to keep school children away from drugs abuse,the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC has begun campaigns against the act in secondary schools.

The campaigns intended to take the agency to various schools across the country began with the launch at Government Secondary School,Tudun Wada,in Wuse Zone 4, of Abuja, the natîon’s capital city, on Friday.

In her keynote address at the event, tagged:”NAFDAC Catch Them Young” ,which had hundreds of school children in attendance,the Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, explained that the programme focused on drug abuse education and awareness campaign on the menace of drug abuse in Nigeria.

She explained to the students that,”The NAFDAC Catch Them Young Programme is a comprehensive and coordinated intensive programme focused on secondary schools.”

According to Adeyeye,”This is extremely important because of the segment of the nation that is most affected — the youths, and by extension, our teenagers.”

Adeyeye,who was representated by her Special Adviser on Lagos,Dr. Fajomirokun Gbenga, explained that “NAFDAC,as part of her mandate seeks to collaborate with stakeholders on drug reduction demand programmes, such as drug abuse campaign to secondary schools to check the menace of drug abuse among young Nigerians.

She said:”It is estimated that 14.4 per cent or 14.3 million Nigerians are victims of drug abuse. This is alarming!

“Research findings show that one out of every four high risk drug users have been arrested for drug related offences, including possession (73%), theft (12 %), sex work (five %), burglary (four %), and shop lifting (two %).

“Note that this data only shows the number of arrests. If we consider that most crimes go unreported, then, we will see that we have a huge problem on our hands. Two thirds of people who abuse drugs report having serious problems as a result. These problems include, missing school or work, doing poor jobs at work or school and even neglecti their family or children. These show us the bane of our society and why we must do all we can to protect our nation.

“NAFDAC Catch Them Young Programme is a comprehensive and coordinated intensive programme focused on secondary schools, designed to reduce the prevalence of drugs abuse amongst secondary school students.”

She explained that,”Drug addicion can arise from both legal such as prescribed medicines and illicit drugs.”

“This programme is not designed to to scare anyone,but to have honest conversations with you. This will help you to take informed decisions with regards to illicit drugs use including alcohol consumption.

“These problems include, missing school or work, doing poor jobs at work or school and even neglecting their family or children. These show us the bane of our society and why we must do all we can to protect our nation”,she told the students,”she added.

She described controlled drug or medicine as,”A medicine or medicinal substance that is strictly controlled by the government because it may be abused or cause addiction. “

“The control applies to the way the substance is made,use, handled,stored and distributed.

“The policy thrust of NAFDAC is to ensure availability of controlled medicines for licit use,while preventing diversion to non,-medical and illicit use,”she further explained.