The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has demonstrated a strong stance against the widespread usage of hard drug substances among the citizens of the country, which is more common among the youth. Prof. Christianah Adeyeye, Director-General of NAFDAC, made this clear in a statement stressing that Nigeria would not endorse the trend of cannabis legalization for non-medical usage. She believes the nation lacks the financial resources to combat the drug’s cultivation, manufacture, and illicit usage.
Recently, the agency has also unveiled the 2022 Annual Report of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB). Adeyeye, who spoke in Lagos during the unveiling of the INCB Annual Report, Availability Supplement, and Precursor Report for 2022, said that 14.3 million people (or 14.4 percent) between the ages of 15 and 64 consumed hard drugs in 2018. This statistic is considerably high in comparison with the 2016 global yearly prevalence of 5.6 percent among the adult population.
10.8 percent of the population had used cannabis in the previous year.
Prof. Adeyeye claimed that the health, social, and economic ramifications of the drug supply and consumption dilemma extend far beyond the individual drug user and into the household, the community, and the nation. Also, the research found that 10.8 percent of the population, or 10.6 million individuals, had used cannabis in the previous year, making it the most often used illicit substance. Statistics show that average first-time cannabis users are predominantly 19 years old.
In comparison to women, males consumed cannabis seven times higher (18.8 percent vs 2.6 percent), although the disparity in the recreational use of prescription opioids like tramadol is less pronounced. In spite of their need to alleviate pain and suffering, narcotics and psychotropic drugs are regulated under the auspices of three international agreements due to their potential for misuse and the dependency they breed in their users. The propensity for misuse and the need for the substance’s usage in medicine are taken into account when categorizing these drugs rather than their chemical composition.
NAFDAC’s mandate is to safeguard drugs’ legitimate use and consumption.
One of the control goals, as stated by Prof. Adeyeye, is to guarantee that the substance is only available for medicinal and scientific purposes while also reducing the likelihood of abuse of the drugs and its diversion to illicit means. NAFDAC’s mandate is to safeguard legitimate use and consumption while discouraging misuse and expanding access. Hence, better access to regulated medications is seen as the intended meaning of international drug control conventions, allowing nations to meet their drug requirements.
The agency, in collaboration with the Federal ministry of health, conducted two narcotic quantifications and estimations of psychotropic compounds and precursors in 2017 and 2019 to guarantee a steady supply of these medications. The NAFDAC director general has disclosed that these surveys provide a more accurate calculation of the country’s yearly demand for these substances. With this information, she said, the government can create efficient policies to strike the right balance between freedom of access and maintaining security.
INCB supports the prevention of illegal drug production and usage.
Retired Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, Head of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), stated that the agency’s yearly worldwide launch serves to accommodate the specific requirements of each member state. Marwa, who was represented by Mrs. Victoria Egbase, said that INCB has collaborated with member states and international organizations throughout the years to accomplish the goals of the worldwide drug control treaties. Being one of four treaty-mandated entities under international drug control legislation, the INCB supports the prevention of illegal drug cultivation, production, and manufacturing, as well as unlawful drug trafficking and usage. However, the INCB has no direct enforcement powers and is only capable of monitoring and advising.
Related Link
NAFDAC: Website
NAFDAC stand against cannabis non-medical use – 14.3m people between the ages of 15 and 64 consumed hard drugs in 2018. – Express your point of view.
The use of cannabis without any medical recommendation is actually drug abuse. We know how lethal these drugs are, people should desist from drug abuse. It kills a lot.
Apparently, there’s a legitimate use of cannabis, and there are those who use them illegitimately. The goal of NAFDAC is to protect appropriate intake and usage while preventing abuse and enhancing access.
NAFDAC as an organisation are really doing alot in curbing the excessive use of drugs or abusive use of drug by the people and this is really working.
In this country we love to trend on bad sides. It is very important NAFDAC ensure they monitor from process to consumption of these substances. It should serve it purposes and not the other way about it.
I like as we are standing against cannabis as it is not hood for the health and it has killed a lot of people, so this is good for us.
Hard drug is lethal drug that people should stop consuming it NAFDAC is doing good work standing against use of hard drug monitor of it is necessary
The spread of the hard drug should be stop from people been able to consuming it a lot of people have consume it in 2018 so it need to be stopped
The number of people that take cannabis in Nigeria is overwhelming, people take it daily just to satisfy themselves, it’s sad that they don’t take your health into consideration
It is crazy that some countries have legalized cannabis because it has some good aspects attached to it and we should also harness it.
Cannabis usage has turn to addiction for so many people. The agency stance against it public usage is justifiable.
The government should be aware that the drug supply and consumption problem has far-reaching economic consequences for everyone beyond the addict.
It is wonderful that perhaps the INCB has worked together with its member nations and other multilateral agencies over the past to achieve the objectives of the global narcotics regulatory agreements.
A good move from NAFDAC. Legalization of cannabis should never be an option to be considered at all and the agency should not condone any illegal use of it.
Even now that it not yet legalized for the people are abusing it talkless of when it becomes legalized. NAFDAC should just maintain a stand against it.
I hope NAFDAC succeeds on these new mission, people excessively abuse drugs and it’s definitely nothing to write home about
Countries that legalized cannabis are more developed than Nigeria and have control resources more than us. So we can’t possibly imitate them when we have less control resources.
NAFDAC stand against cannabis non-medical useuse of cannabis without any medical recommendation is a drug abuse. The drugs abuse has eaten up so many Nigeria
It is so unfortunate that the youth of the nation are been swayed into taking cannabis. It is looking very difficult to fight against but it can be controlled. There is a saying that ” an idle mind is the devils workshop”. The federal government should find way to keep the youth busy: by providing jobs, creating training and make the country conducive to stay. You can imagine that 14.3m people between the ages of 15 and 64 caught within the web of hard drugs in 2018.
Since we are aware of how dangerous these medications are, we urge individuals to stop abusing them. Regrettably, there are many drug addicts out there.
The use of cannabis among the youth is constantly on the increase and looks very difficult to curb. The government are the resultant factor that give rise to the consumption of the cannabis among the youths because they failed to provide the basic amenities, jobs, better medical attention and conducive working environment that will keep the mind of the youth busy away from what will make them to consume it.