By Emeka Nwokocha
As rising cases of drug abuse continue to pose serious concern to the Nigerian society, a non-governmental organisation, the Delta State Chapter of Partners for Peace (P4P) in Niger Delta, have begun an aggressive campaign to public schools in Delta state to dissuade students from consuming illicit drugs.
On Wednesday 21 September, 2022, the Sensitization Team of P4P took the campaign to Ugborikoko secondary school, Ugborikoko, Uvwie local government area of the state.
Speaking to the students, the Delta State coordinator of P4P, Ms. Jennifer Okotie, who led the campaign team on the exercise, said, “we are here to enlighten you about the harmful effects of abusing drugs and most importantly the roles you can play in enlightening others on how to stop or never venture into such an act.”
She simply defined drug abuse as the use of illegal drugs or the use of prescription or over-the-counter drugs for purposes other than those for which they are meant to be used, or in excessive amounts.
Continuing, she stated that drug abuse among youths had become rampant in recent times, even as she charged the students to become anti-drug campaigners with a view to curbing the menace.
She further educated the students on many forms of drug abuse including the effects, saying, “drug abuse may lead to social, physical and emotional problems including psychological effects which could eventually lead to wild mood swings, depression, anxiety, paranoia, crime, illness, lost opportunity, and reduced productivity.
In the same vein, Mr. Chuks Odagwe, counseled the students on how addiction to drug abuse could affect their dreams in life. He explained to the students, ways to avoid falling victims to gangs that could influence them to take drugs and also reminded them of the devastating effects of illicit drugs.
Speaking, students of the school, Onome Favour Elo, and Joseph Joshua, thanked P4P for the enlightenment session, stating that the session was quite informative and detailed as it availed them the opportunity of understanding the harm drug abuse causes to the body.
“The information I got from this session will serve as a guide to me and I will abstain from drug abuse and take this good message beyond the school environment to my friends,” Elo stated.
Mrs. Dora Ejoyokah, a teacher at the school, expressed satisfaction at the engagement with the students and hoped the campaign would be sustained in other to have better impact on the students.
