The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has promised to partner the National Council for Women Societies (NCWS) to address drug abuse among women.

NDLEA chairman, Buba Marwa, made the promise when the newly-elected president of NCWS, Lami Lau, led a delegation on a visit to the directorate in Abuja on Monday.

“This is the area that we call on the NCWS to support our partnership and advocacy for women to renounce drugs and seek help and treatment.

“We will work with your state offices to sweep drugs off our streets as much as possible, but we need to face the demand end, hence the need for collaboration with the NCWS,” he said.

Mr Marwa noted that the NCWS was central to the ongoing drug demand reduction and drug supply control efforts in Nigeria.

He said that the level of drug abuse in the country was worrisome, hence the need for partnership with all stakeholders to reduce drug usage.

“Drugs are wiping out our future generation. Unfortunately, one in every four that use drugs is a woman. This may appear to be 25 per cent only.

“But when considered that the women include mothers who are setting examples for children, you can understand the impact of this on a child,” he said.

Mr Marwa said that women that use drug were afraid of stigmatisation, hence they do not seek help or treatment.

He noted that of all the persons counselled and treated by the command, only five per cent are women.

On her part, Mrs Lami said the partnership between the two bodies to combat drug abuse was necessary given the disturbing prevalence of the menace among women in the country.

She said that NCWS was worried about this, and that was why the council had come to seek a partnership with NDLEA to address drug abuse among women.

(NAN)