The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigeria Customs Service and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have partnered to fight the menace of narcotics and drug abuse among youths.

A statement by NAFDAC resident media consultant, Olusayo Akintola, stated that they all promised to collaborate to fight illicit drug production, trafficking and use and to curb related organised crime.

The statement disclosed that the pledge was made on Thursday in Lagos at the launch and dissemination of the 2022 Annual Report of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) and Precursors Report 2022.

The statement stated that NAFDAC Director-General, Mojisola Adeyeye, described narcotics and psychotropic substances as indispensable for relieving pain and suffering.

She said they were controlled within the framework of the three international conventions as they possessed abuse liability and produced a dependence on users.

Ms Adeyeye said they were classified not on chemical nature but on the potential for abuse and the need for medical use of the substance.

She added that one of the control objectives was to ensure availability solely for medical and scientific uses while minimising the possibility of diversion to illicit channels and abuse.

The NAFDAC boss said that to ensure adequate availability of controlled medicines, the agency, in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Health, performed two quantifications of narcotics and estimated psychotropic substances and precursors in 2017 and 2019.

Ms Adeyeye said the results of these surveys provide the evidenced-based estimation of our national annual requirements for these substances and enable the country to develop measures to achieve that delicate balance between access and control.

‘’According to the 2018 National Drug Use Survey, the prevalence of any drug use was 14.4 per cent or 14.3 million people between the ages of 15 and 64.

“This is comparatively high, compared with the 2016 global annual prevalence of 5.6 per cent among the adult population.

“The report revealed that cannabis is the most commonly used drug, an estimated 10.8 per cent of the population or 10.6 million people had used cannabis in the past year, with the average age of initiation of cannabis use among the general population put at 19 years.

‘’Cannabis use was seven times higher among men (18.8 per cent among men against 2.6 per cent of women). The gender gap in the non-medical use of pharmaceutical opioids (such as tramadol) was less marked,” she stressed.

Ms Adeyeye, however, said Nigeria would not support the trend of legalisation of cannabis for non-medical use, as Nigeria lacked the financial capacity to fight cultivation, production and illegal use of the substance.

According to her, the non-medical use of cannabis contravenes the United Nations Single Convention of 1961, which classifies cannabis as a highly addictive substance.

She disclosed that the Nigeria Indian Hemp Act and the NDLEA Act prohibited the cultivation, production, distribution, sales and use of cannabis and its extracts or derivatives for medical or non-medical purposes.

The statement reported Buba Marwa, the executive chairman of NDLEA, as decrying the upsurge abuse of cannabis.

He decried an upsurge in the abuse of cannabis amongst Nigerian youths with its attendant negative effects on society.

To address the problem, Mr Marwa disclosed that the NDLEA conceptualised the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) launched by President Mohammadu Buhari on June 26, 2021.

The statement said that one Victoria Ekase represented Mr Marwa. He noted that NAFDAC had been ensuring that controlled drugs essential for human survival were provided for use where necessary in line with the requirements of INCB.

He said that NDLEA, on its part, collaborated with NAFDAC in ensuring that the measures put in place to prevent the diversion of such medicines and substances to illicit use were adhered to.

The NDLEA boss noted with dismay that It was quite worrisome that chemicals intended for research and industrial purposes were finding their way into illicit drug manufacture.

‘’This is the area that NAFDAC and NDLEA need to deepen collaboration to ensure that such unwholesome acts are completely eliminated; the launch of the precursor report will go a long way to complement national efforts in this regard,” he said.

The statement also reported Hameed Alli, the comptroller general of the Nigeria Customs Service, while commending NAFDAC, as saying that NAFDAC and NDLEA had been most wonderful.

Mr Alli, who Assistant Comptroller General A.N. Dappa represented, pledged the customs service’s loyalty and support in ridding the nation of illicit drugs.

‘’We have always been in partnership, and we will continue to work in close partnership with you,’’ he said.

(NAN)