Disturbing picture of drug abuse in Nigeria
Submitted by Andy Travis on
'The use of hard drugs, especially among the youth, has become a real social menace and cuts across all social strata, with children from both rich and poor backgrounds deeply into it', says Garba Ahmaduthe, commander for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in northern Nigeria's largest city of Kano. Apart from the usual substances, the regional authorities have recently impounded 1000,000 cartons of glue. Less conventional problem substances include codeine-laced cough syrup, solvents and powerful horse stimulants. Key factors may be high birth and divorce rates, unemployment and religious/cultural structures. Among a range of regional measures are the establishment of a sports institute and vocational training centres for young people.