The incidence of drug abuse is a clear and present danger in Nigeria. Tackling the drug menace requires all hands to be on the deck.
According to the latest National Drug Use survey conducted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), 14.3 million Nigerians aged between 15 and 64 years had used a psychoactive substance for non-medical purposes, and about one in seven persons of the same 15-64 years age range had used a drug other than tobacco and alcohol. The study reveals the one out every four drug users in Nigeria is a woman. While drug use is common among people aged from 25 to 39 years, it is remarkable that one in five persons who had used drugs must be suffering from drug use disorder.
The commonest drug being abused in Nigeria happens to be cannabis which an estimated 10.6 million Nigerians. The UNODC survey informs that the average age of initiation to cannabis use is 19 years. Incidentally, cannabis use is seven times higher among men than women. Additionally, an estimated 4.6 million Nigerians have used opiods such as tramadol, codeine or morphine for non-medical purposes. The non-medical use of cough syrups containing codeine and dextromethorphan is estimated at 2.4 million Nigerians.
Given the background that the government is playing a crucial part in smashing and arresting those responsible for the sale of hard drugs, it is incumbent on the media to drive the campaign through the critical roles of societal education and information. There is the need for the media to play a critical role in educating the public on curbing factors contributing to substance abuse especially among the youth. The issue of peer pressure among the youth is a major cause of drug abuse among the youth and with the media forming a major part of the life of every young person will become a powerful tool in enlightenment.
The media will go a long way in aiding national development by highlighting and addressing the numerous negative consequences of drug addiction. The agenda-setting duty of the media must be adopted in dealing with drug-induced breakdown of the social fabric of the society. Anti-social behaviours linked to drug use including criminal acts such as cultism, robbery, gang rape and many others impose on the media the responsibility to prioritize sensitization against drug abuse and crimes.
It is the duty of the media to put forward preventive strategies that are the most effective ways of addressing drug use. The intensification of drug education and awareness on the social and health consequences of drug use in families, communities and institutions must serve as ongoing social services. The media must stress the need for the incorporation of drug education and astute parenting and life skills in the scheme of the fight for a drug-free Nigeria.
The media should be more responsible in the reportage of, for instance, the upsurge of the intake and inhaling of Crystal Meth (Mkpulu-mmili). It goes against the grain to somewhat lay undue emphasis on the actions of the drug users instead of laying emphasis on the deleterious effects.
The complexity of the drug menace in Nigeria is a national defect that the media must address with all seriousness. A convergence of multi-media approach is a sure strategy in sensitizing the youths against hard drugs.
The worry is that in this day and age of the social media acts of drug use tend to be promoted through the internet. The drug malaise gets complicated when social media influencers tend to actually promote drug use.
In the end, it takes the responsible mass media to serve as panacea to drug abuse and drug related crimes in contemporary Nigeria.
Written by SIR PAUL NWOSU
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