One in seven persons in Nigeria between the ages of 15 and 64 years use at least one psychoactive substance as against global average of one in 20, says the chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee on the Elimination of Drug Abuse in Nigeria, General Buba Marwa, rtd. He stated this at the public lecture and inauguration ceremony of the Society of Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Professionals (ISSUP) in Abuja, on Thursday.

Gen. Marwa also said one in five persons who use drugs in Nigeria are suffering from substance use disorders which is higher than the global average of one in 11 persons. He said Nigeria’s population is about three percent of the world population but six percent of the world population of cannabis users is in Nigeria which he described as alarming.

He also noted that 14 percent of the world populations who misuse pharmaceutical opioids are in Nigeria, thereby making Nigeria one of the countries in the world with the highest population of people who misuse tramadol and codeine cough syrup.

General Marwa who was represented by Otunba Lanre Ipinmosho called for the introduction of addiction studies in the country’s higher institutions of learning adding that it will go a long way in professionalising the field of drug demand reduction and subsequently contribute significantly towards addressing the challenges of substance abuse in Nigeria.

Speaking earlier, the national president Nigerian Society of Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Professionals (ISSUP) Martin O. Agwogie said the vision of chapter is to build a united, trained, skilled, knowledgeable and effective multidisciplinary national network of substance use prevention, treatment, recovery professionals and researchers undertaking and promoting high quality evidence-based substance use prevention, treatment and policies. (Daily Trust)

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