The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said youths in Nigeria are now using nail polish and methylated spirit to achieve a state of ‘highness’.
According to Wikipedia, ‘highness’ is a transient condition of altered consciousness and behavior associated with recent use of a substance.
The agency noted that common narcotics like tramadol, codeine syrup, and cannabis have become costly for some users.
Ogun State Commander Tijjani Rabe revealed this while receiving members of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) at the command’s headquarters in Abeokuta.
Rabe, represented by the Deputy State Commander, Ekundayo Williams, lamented that the menace was a cause of concern for the families of victims, the society and Nigeria at large.
The Commander lamented that despite several sensitization and advocacy the agency was witnessing an increase on a yearly basis.
He said, “why are we worried? I want to take you back to the last survey carried out in 2018; that survey made us understand that 14.3 million Nigerians aged between 15 and 16 have used one substance in the previous years and from this survey we have an increase of 5.6 percent compared to what we had in 2016.
“The same survey made us understand that 20 percent of these 14.3 million people have drug disorders.
“We are made to understand that apart from these conventional drugs, people now use other non-conventional substances which mostly are household items like nail polish, methylated spirit and so on since they cannot afford to buy the conventional drugs and this has been found mostly among our youths”.
He noted that one in five drug users injects drugs with needles and syringes, which raises the risk of spreading blood-borne diseases like HIV and Hepatitis B.
Stressing that the South-West has the highest drug abuse rates, he pointed out that Ogun State, with its large number of tertiary institutions and young population from varied backgrounds, has a significant number of abusers.
He highlighted that the agency, alongside other organizations and stakeholders, has extended sensitization and advocacy to schools, places of worship, markets, parks, and rural areas.
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