“The most important assets of any society are the youth. If you take care of them now, they guarantee a secure future for the society, and when you abandon them to their fate be rest assured of a catastrophic consequences…”
“The easiest way to destroying the future of any society is to introduce their youth to drug abuse.., through this process they will systematically become hopeless, loose focus, become confused, abandon education, and ultimately become slaves to the advantage of those behind the illicit drug business”
“Be careful with drug abuse, as ‘Drug Abuse’ takes you to hell disguised as Heaven”
Introduction
Undoubtedly, the youth are the future of any society. Their security and wellbeing should therefore be of paramount importance to any serious minded and focused leadership. In the recent times, a very potent and disturbing threat to our national security, which has the tendency of negatively affecting the future of our youth in particular and the nation in general, is the aspect of drug abuse and use of psycho seraphic substances among the youth in our societies with impunity. The problem which acts like slow poison against the lives of those involved is very fast spreading among the youth in most communities, unless effectively checkmated. Another danger is that, most of the affected youth that are engaged into these unwholesome habits consider them as fashion, and often do not realize the danger of their action until when it is too late. Our societies have also become so complacent, allowing the menace to overwhelm us, as most people seem not bothered on the potency of this threat to our future. The recent documentary by the BBC on the dangers of drug abuse especially in the north should therefore serve as a wakeup call.
In 2012, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) collected drugs use and abuse data from schools, records of patients admitted at mental health institutions for drug related problems and interview of persons arrested for drug offences. The result showed that youths constitute the high risk group for drug trafficking and abuse. Friends and school mates account for about 90% of the source of influence of the use and abuse of various psychoactive substances. This is a sad and disturbing development for anybody concerned with the future of our youth, and by extension our national development. Although in Nigeria, alcohol and cigarettes are legal to some extent, but our religion and culture condemn them in totality. These substances are also said to be the “gateway drugs” to other more potent and dangerous drugs like cannabis, heroin and cocaine. According to Cole: 2014, “Drug abuse/addiction has gone a long way to create several health problems and dangers in our societies. Such health problems include mental illness, cancer of the lungs, school drop-outs, and threat to the life expectancy of the affected youth”.
The trend of drug abuse in our societies is very common; as the youth and some elderly supposedly take these drugs to increase their stamina, reduce tension and stress, or withstand pressure. Others get involved in order to give them boldness to confront challenges, remove fear and boredom, which most of them cannot ordinarily do without the use of some illicit drugs. The timid types purposely take some drugs especially during political gatherings to enable them behave irresponsibly or to unleash terror on their rivals or perceived enemies. Gradually they become addicted and in the long run ruin their future, and eventually end up into criminal gangs. What a sad development?
What is Drug Abuse?
Drug is a substance used for medical purposes that change the function of the body. Carroll (1989) sees drug as any substance which upon entering the body changes the body function and structure. Drug abuse is therefore, the consumption, injection or smoking of any substance beyond medical prescription, or the use of any chemical substances for non medical purposes. Ibrahim: (2016)
What is Drug Addiction?
Drug addiction also called substance dependence or chemical dependency is a disease that is characterized by a destructive pattern of drug abuse, that leads to significant problems involving tolerance, to or withdrawal from the substance, as well as other problems that use of the substance can cause to the sufferer, either socially or in terms of their work or school performance (Akus: 2010). Drug addiction is a life dependence on a legal or illegal drug or medication.
Who is a Drug Addict?
A drug addict is someone whose life has become so dependent on the use of illicit substances or drugs against medical advice or prescription. Ibrahim (2016)
Causes of Drug Abuse and Addiction
Drug abuse and addiction have no single cause. There are several factors responsible for drug abuse among the youth. They include youthful exuberance, experimentation of what it takes to be on drugs, driving pleasure, emotional stress and peer influence among others. According to Odejide (2014) some of the reasons advanced by youth for taking illicit drug are: to feel on top like adults, to feel good, to get excited, to be like friends and to be like stars. The abuse of these drugs which leads to addiction among these youth gradually progresses to affect their life in terms of performance, social activities, and cause a host of evil things in our society. Some of the factors include:
Patronage by the political class
This unfortunate development has significantly impacted negatively on the deterioration of the attitude of our youths. Significantly, it is an established fact that, the patronage by the political class of this vulnerable group can be viewed as the driving force that gave rise to thuggery. Unless this trend is checkmated, the future of our youths and by extension the general security environment in our societies will continue to be engendered.
Redundancy and Laziness among the Youths
Redundancy and lack of utilization of opportunities for positive engagement are also among the stimulants that drive our youths into drug abuse and crimes. The fact of the matter is that, most of our youths are lazy and want easy life, thereby under rating or overlooking opportunities for positive engagements. Unless something urgent is done to address this trend, the likelihood of escalation of the problem cannot be over emphasized.
Rise in Drug abuse in the society
The rate at which dangerous drugs are being abused in our societies is very alarming. Virtually most of the Pharmaceutical and Patent Medicine stores in our localities have been turned to joints where youths patronize to get illicit drugs. It is one of the most profitable businesses now in most areas.
Dynamics of crime rates, especially armed banditry
Crime rates are now very easy to spread or emulate due to modern technology which make communication very easy. This unfortunate aspect often exerts influence on our youths, especially armed banditry, such as terrorism, kidnapping and armed robbery among others.
General Lack of mentorship and role modeling for the youths
The general non challant attitudes of mentoring and role modeling our youths are among the factors pushing our youths to desperation to go into crimes. By the day, the youths are being alienated and not drown closer by the elders. Hardly have you found people serving as mentors or role models for our youths. This neglect often makes our youths feel abandoned and frustrated, leading them to find solace in drug abuse and other associated crimes
However, American psychiatric association (2000) observed that there are number of causes such as;
a) Psychological factor: This includes mood disorder, depression, anxiety, and personality disorder.
b) Social factor: This includes gender, marital status or Lower Socio-Economic status.
More so, Abuh and Akus (2009) identified two primary causes of drug abuse and addiction such as: peer pressure and depression.
c) Pressure group: Youth associates with different types of people otherwise known as friends. Through the pressure from these friends, children tend to have a taste of these drugs and once this is done, they continue to take it and become addicted to it in the long run.
d) Depression: Another primary cause of drug abuse and addiction is depression. For instance, when certain things happen to someone that is considered very sad and disheartening, (such as failure in exams, loss of someone very close or being abused sexually). The affected person will start thinking of the best way to overcome the situation or become happy once more, hence the use of hard drugs and alcohol will come in, which later on turns to a habit, hence drug and alcohol abuse.
Other factors according to Ballas (2006) include the following; curiosity, social rebellions, early initiation, poor parental control, low self-esteem, poor stress management, to escape reality, withdrawal effects and craving for sensational feeling.
Negative Effects of Drug on the Youth
Drug and alcohol abuse are very dangerous trends that affects not only the social status of the youth but destroys even their mental and physical health. According to Perkinson (2002), alcohol is a central nervous system depressant and dulls the brain, making learning a difficult task. When the youth abuse alcohol their reasoning becomes impaired and any meaningful activity such as education and entrepreneurship becomes of less priority in their life. Drug and alcohol abuse also affects the brain, resulting in a major decline in its functions. Drugs and alcohol can affect their cognitive sense of reasoning and concentration and thus interest in school and other extracurricular activities become a burden to them. This leads to agitation and reactive tendency to commit crime. Most psychoactive drugs affect the decision making process of the youth, as such their creative thinking and the development of necessary life and social skills become impaired. Drug abuse gives false hope and excitement to the victims. It gives temporary relief to situational challenges. It pushes the users to do the unthinkable. It makes them wild and aggressive.
Risk Factors of Drug Abuse
Among the risk factors pertaining to drug abuse among the youth include: increase in health challenges such as lung and liver diseases, psychiatric disorders, emotional instability (as some of them become rude and arrogant to their parents and any member of the society that try to correct them). Some of them grow up to become political thugs or criminals in the society.
Drugs abuse also interferes with an individual’s awareness of their unique potential and thus negatively affects their interest in their career development. This gradually leads to social, emotional and physical problems and new feelings of guilt, despair and helplessness among the victims. They began to nurse grudges and contempt against members of the society, whom they often view as the cause of their predicament. In a nutshell, some of the negative effects of drug abuse and addiction on the future of our youth include:
a) It affects their sense of reasoning negatively due to loss of focus;
b) Leads to criminality in the society such as petty theft, armed robbery, kidnapping and terrorism;
c) It affect their health by destroying the nervous system of the victims; (It increase the heart beat thereby causing heart diseases and restlessness);
d) It interferes with the power of judgment and poisons and increases their level of aggressiveness;
e) It is a potent threat to their future, as it makes them hopeless;
f) It increases frequent illness among the victims; and
g) It reduces their life expectancy,
Research on the dangers of Drug abuse in most Nigerian societies indicates that, the easiest gateway to any form of criminality is drug abuse. Any criminality be it cultism, armed robbery and banditry, kidnapping or terrorism are, or can be easily committed through the influence of drug abuse. The actors in any of these crimes often need stimulants that will spur them into action, give the needed confidence and remove fear, and thus drug abuse come into effect in order to provide the needed charge. (Ibrahim: 2015)
In most of our societies, studies suggest that one in every ten youth is into drugs, while another two to three out of every ten smoke cigarettes and almost one in every twenty is suspected to smoke marijuana. About 20% of our youth use drugs like cough syrups and other tranquilizers (such as codeine, tramodol, shisha and other sedatives).
Challenges
There are several challenges faced by the society in containing the threat of drug abuse among the youth. Some of the most disturbing ones are the following:
a). Stigmasation and negative perception of the society against victims: The society view the victims of drug abuse as criminals. This attitude makes the victims alienated, intimidated and even threatened by those close to them, instead of bringing them closer and given them guidance and hope. The unfortunate development is that most of the drug addicts are not drawn closer by the society, or their parents in order understand their real situation. By stigmatizing and criminalizing drug addicts it pushes them further to desperation which aggravates their situation. Most drug addicts are abandoned by their parents and those close to them. Instead of drawing them closer to be guided, the society stigmatizes them, which by implication is not a healthy development in managing drug addiction in most societies;
b). Negative Parenthood. Emerging facts indicates that, most of the youth that are into drugs abuse are in one way or the other pushed to such deviant behaviors by the negative attitude of their parents wittingly or unwittingly. Because nowadays Parents either do not have time to study what their children are doing, or they over pamper their children beyond redemption. Take instance of these scenarios:
Imagine parents that always leave their children under the care of their house maids. These types of parents have no time to sit with their children, listen to their concerns and guide them for a better future. What type of care and upbringing should they expect from house maids whose character and manners you cannot vouch for?
Or consider parents that do not care to find out where their children go to, or who their friends are. Some don’t even care to know when or what time their children leave or return home, while others do not care to find out whether their children are in school or not.
Or a well to do Parent that gives his/her child money anyhow without any need or meaningful purpose. What does that Parent expect of that child instead of finding means of squandering such resources?
Imagine also a Parent that gives his/her child who is a student or school dropout, the latest brand of motor vehicle to drive freely for leisure. What does that Parent expect to make out of such child? Certainly the dream and hope for such children has been killed by their Parents.
There are parents who still refuse to come to terms with reality, and agree that their children are into drugs, unless it becomes too late. These category of parents often deliberately choose to shield their children and pretend all is well, considering any suggestion that their children are into drugs as a taboo or set up.
The resultant negative effects of such attitude are therefore many. Because any child that find him or herself into such trap of negative parenthood will hardly come to terms with reality. They end up without any ambition or plan for their future, because they lack the necessary guidance and care to realize their full potentials. The only thing these types of children will do is just to find ways of enjoying themselves, by finding groups of like minds who are mostly into drugs, alcohol abuse, cultism and other associated crimes. They end up organizing parties, leaving home or school at any time and by extension spoiling other people’s children. Most of them get involved into accidents that in most cases turn to be fatal.
Parents should or must wake up and do the needful. Nobody is telling you not to love your children. But the truth is that you should moderate the kind of love you show or give your children. Do not be over protective. Be modest. Allow them to struggle and know the value of life and living. Productive children are a source of pride for their parents and the nation.
C) Patronage by Members of the Political Class. Another very disturbing challenge is the deliberate patronage of the vulnerable youth by members of the political class who patronizes them as political vanguards or thugs. This category of youth are drawn closer by the political elites, given them money to buy drugs and use them to harass their political opponents. Sadly, hardly you find a political figure without a retinue of political thugs around him or her. Instead of serving as role models for these youth, their handlers use them for a purpose and abandon them to be unleashing terror on the society.
The way forward
Unless the society views drug abuse as a threat to the future of our youth, and users as unfortunate victims of societal negligence, instead of viewing them as criminals, the threat of drug abuse will continue to persist on campus. Therefore, among the suggested containment strategies against drug and alcohol abuse include, but not limited to the following suggestions:
a) The society should try to understand the reality of the problem at hand, admit the fact that it is a threat to the future of our youth, and become resolute to overcome the challenge;
b) Do whatever it takes in liaison with the relevant Agencies and other stakeholders to cut the supply chain of illicit drugs in our societies. Because no matter the efforts put in place to address drug abuse, if the supply chain is not addressed, the victims will continue to relapse;
c) The current efforts by the Federal Government of banning the manufacture, distribution, sales and use of codeine should be supported and backed up by all and sundry. It should also be backed up by relevant Laws for effective enforcement, because banning the sales, manufacture and use of codeine without relevant legislation to ensure enforcement will certainly make the policy irrelevant;
d) Government should support the Traditional and Religious leaders, in liaison with the relevant Security Outfits, to set up community monitoring strategic partnership against illicit drug dealers and other vendors in our communities;
e) Victims of drug abuse should not be regarded as criminals, but rather as unfortunate victims who need help, support and rehabilitation, through the best health care facilities in order to reverse them back to normal life;
f) Parents should take extra efforts in monitoring the behaviors, attitudes of their children, and always ensure that they vet the type of company their children have;
g) Parents and guardians should as much as possible regulate how they over pamper or treat their wards, and try to always assess what they do now for their children in relation to the outcome of their actions or inaction in the future;
h) Continuous guidance and counseling to those affected in order to assist them abandon the negative habits;
i) Youth should always avoid bad company of friends whose attitude and behaviors are not in conformity with the standard norms and acceptable behaviors of the society;
j) Youth should be encouraged to set standard for themselves in terms of good attitude, performance, character and behavior that are worthy of emulation by others;
k) Youth should be encouraged to develop a vision of who they want to be in the future by selecting their role models and following their footsteps;
l) Communities should set up a monitoring mechanism of responsible network among themselves, on how to monitor and stop those selling drugs to our youth;
m) Youth should always try to resist the temptation of joining bad company of friends who have lost hope for a better future, and are trying to lure others to also become hopeless; and
n) Our youth should be encouraged to always try to be modest and humble by making the best use of the opportunities provided for them in terms of empowerment and skills by the government and other well meaning individuals. Because “those who do not make the best use of the opportunity provided for them today, will hardly have the chance of enjoying a better tomorrow”.
Conclusion
Consider the above presentation as a wakeup call on the dangers of drug abuse to the future of our youth. View it as the candid view of a concerned person for the betterment of our future. Let us all make a collective resolve to partner with all the relevant agencies, and the Government by making the best use of this enlightenment forum in order to develop a common strategy towards a secure future for our youth. Our youth must be encouraged at all cost to avoid drug abuse.
The world is moving very fast. It is very sad and unfortunate, while other societies are busy planning and strategizing by positioning their youth for leadership, making them captains of industries, developing world class entrepreneurs and educationist out of them, we are deeply in slumber, battling with drug abuse among our own at this age.
Let us avoid any strategic mistake that will jeopardize our dream for a better future for our youth before it is too late. Let our dreams for a greater and better tomorrow for our youth begin today. Yes we can. We just need the inner will to say yes we can make our youth the best. I believe we can do that. Time waits for no one.
God bless, and thank you for finding time to listen to this presentation.
The above piece was presented by
Ibrahim Ahmad Katsina
PBSC,
Abuja.
at the annual national convention of Gizago social and cultural association of Nigeria,
at Multipurpose conference hall, Filin samji, Katsina State
on the 22nd day of Septermber, 2018.
Ibrahim can be reached on:
ibrahimkatsina080@gmail.com
Ibrahim.katsina@bazeuniversity.edu.ng
ibrokatsina@yahoo.com
