SUBSTANCE ABUSE: THE QUIET PANDEMIC AMONG NIGERIAN YOUTH

Many questions often arise when it comes to the issue of the increase in substance abuse among our youth in Nigeria. One of the recurring questions is: ‘are we doing enough?’ Well, this question is one that doesn’t require many research to arrive at an answer because the rise in the number simply provides the answer.

Let’s take a quick look at these reports.

The United Nations Office on Drug and Crime in Nigeria reports that “14.4% (14.3 million) of people aged between 15 and 64 years abuse drugs.” The Guardian News Nigeria says that “Institutional studies show up to 82.5% of detained adolescent males face mental health challenges heavily correlated with substance abuse,” and according to the UNODC and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA),

“substance abuse among Nigerian youths has reached critical levels, with an estimated 14.4% of the population aged 15 to 64—nearly 14.3 million people—regularly abusing psychoactive substances with youths under 35 accounting for more than 70% of these users.”

These reports obviously indicate that this drug pandemic isn’t so ‘quiet’ anymore and urgent measures need to be taken to address this.

Look around our major cities and university communities today, and you will see a quiet, devastating trend ripping through the younger generation. The abuse of hard substances like 'Loud', 'Colorado', synthetic marijuana, tramadol, cannabis, codeine syrups and other opiods has moved from the fringes of society straight into the mainstream, heavily romanticized by pop culture.

Many young people see these drugs as simple tools for recreation, creativity, or escaping the harsh realities of economic hardship. But behind the glossy music videos and trendy slang lies a dark trail of broken minds, severe psychiatric crises, and destroyed futures. What starts as a weekend experiment quickly spirals into deep physical dependence.

Many of our youth are living with mental health problem, permanent disability and some loss of lives or taking that of others as a result of substance abuse.

 As the world marks the 'International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking,' we cannot keep treating substance abuse solely as a moral failure or something to hide in shame. It is a full-blown public health crisis requiring families, schools, religious bodies, communities and government at all levels to actively debunk the glamour or myth surrounding these substances, and provide early education, intervention, support and rehabilitation options before we lose an entire generation to addiction.