By FATIMA MOHAMMED-LAWAL

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says the dangers of drug use are often underestimated among young people, with many unaware of the long-term consequences of their actions.

Mrs Galleys Oyedepo, NDLEA representative for the Kwara Command, said this at a seminar organised by the Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN) in Ilorin on Friday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the seminar was organised in collaboration with NDLEA to sensitise secondary and tertiary school students against indulging in drug abuse.

Oyedepo expressed concern that drug and substance abuse is becoming prevalent among youth on campuses of tertiary institutions.

“Drug abuse is increasingly prevalent among young people, particularly on university campuses, where many students turn to substances in response to academic pressure, social expectations, and emotional challenges,” she said.

According to her, what begins as curiosity, peer influence, or a coping mechanism can quickly develop into dependency, trapping students in cycles of addiction.

Oyedepo identified commonly abused substances to include cannabis, codeine-based syrups, tramadol, and synthetic drugs.

She cited findings from the 2018 National Drug Use and Health Survey, which put Nigeria’s drug use prevalence at 14.4 per cent, nearly three times the global average.

The NDLEA representative noted that recent enforcement data further underscored the severity of the problem.

She further disclosed that more than 60 per cent of over 77,000 drug offenders arrested by the agency in the past five years were youths.

“Some are as young as 15, and most individuals currently undergoing treatment and counselling in NDLEA facilities are also young people.

“The trend is partly attributed to a culture that increasingly normalises drug use among youths, with many perceiving it as harmless or fashionable,” she said.

Oyedepo warned that the consequences of drug abuse include poor academic performance, mental health disorders, broken relationships, and increased exposure to crime and violence.

According to her, youth must understand that drug abuse comes with serious and lasting consequences, and that it is not a solution to stress or academic challenges.

Earlier, FOMWAN Amirah, Hajia Biliqis Oladimeji, said the programme was organised under the Health Committee of the Association to educate young people on the dangers of drug abuse in the state.

Oladimeji lamented the rise in cases of drug abuse among youth in Kwara, saying the association would not fold its arms and watch the nation’s future destroyed by the menace.

She, therefore, appealed to parents and guardians to monitor their wards so that they do not fall victim to drug abuse. (NAN)