SHA’ABAN 3, 1429 A.H.
TUESDAY AUGUST 5 2008
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Do drugs control your life?
By ANJUGURI JESSE MANZAH
Untimely deaths through accidents; upsurge in the number of the mentally derailed; increase in crime rate; unnecessary deformities; disorderliness and disregard for elders. These are obvious dangers posed by illicit drugs on Nigeria and its citizens.
The 2008 United Nations (UN) international day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking, marked June 26th, was tagged: Do Drugs Control Your Life? This is a question that beckons for answer from all and sundry, especially Nigerians who are surrounded by a rapidly growing number of drug users among her youths.
“It is a day we normally reawaken the consciousness of the people and the nations of the world on the dangers inherent in drug abuse and illicit trafficking”, said Barrister Nicholas Walter Salu, the state commander NDLEA, Kano state command.
Hidden in the length and breadth of this country are people who live their lives on drugs. Their God-given senses and ability are redundant in the absence of drugs. Their effectiveness is solely dependant on the amount of drugs they consume. Such people can only manifest best when drugs are at their disposal else, the least is what comes out of them.
A drug addicts walk the path of life, the notion that surrounds their minds is that there is nothing like being effective when drug is absent. In a nutshell, nothing works out without drugs because they have gradually become addicted on drugs.
Drug according to the Oxford Advance Learners’ Dictionary is “an illegal substance that some people smoke, inject, etc, to give them pleasant or exciting feelings.” From this concise definition, drugs are not legally acceptable. This explains why drug addicts choose to consume it in secluded places.
Marijuana, opium, cocaine, barbiturates, alcohol and hallucinogen are commonly abused drugs. It is appalling that even legally approved drugs that are medically prepared to address ailments in man are widely abused today. This is common among the less privileged who cannot afford the aforementioned drugs. Some of these drugs include benyline syrup, tramol, chloroquine, supper-appetite and the likes. The overdose in-take of any of these drugs or its combination gives the addict his or her desired psychedelic satisfaction. Chloroquine tablets ranging from 10 to 20 tablets are taken at a time. No right thinking human being will venture into this kind of attitude simply because they seek escape from emotional stress.
It is mind boggling that an individual will toil for hours without resting just to raise money to satisfy his or her craving for illegal drugs. These drugs they buy with their hard earned money does more harm than good to their health. They engage themselves in strength sapping menial jobs but do not compensate for the lost strength by eating properly nourished food. Under the hot scorching sun, the heavy rainy day or the extremely cold weather they are diligently labour not for food or a better life but to acquire deadly drugs.
A thought-provoking question that comes to mind is: why would an individual choose to labour tirelessly with his or her hands only to buy drugs that are synonymous with death? “Drug addicts are prone to medical problems. Short life expectancy, continuous failure in health”, said Dr. B.T.Y. Aina, Dean Faculty of Education, FCE, Bichi.
The health hazards posed by drugs on the life of the user(s) are higher than the few minute satisfaction derived from it. A drug-controlled life could lead to the malfunctioning of vital body organs. Commonly affected organs include: the brain, lungs, heart, liver, kidney, etc.
It is paramount for addicts to note that the brain doesn’t regenerate itself because it’s elastic in nature. They should bear it in mind that the pressures they exert on their brains through the consumption of these drugs weaken the brain and forces it to malfunction. “The addict becomes psychotic” (mentally retarded), said Dr. Aina. This happens because the brain is fed with things not meant for it. Since that is not why God created the brain and other body organs.
When the individual smokes, injects or swallows these drugs, including the legally drugs being abused, he or she over works the body organs and forces it to work beyond its accepted performing ability.
Youths who had great dreams and aspirations in life are today roaming the streets scavenging for food from gutters and refuse dumps. The fate of these youths is hinged on the decisions they made in the past. A decision to live a “high-life”, that is drug controlled life. An attempt to offer such persons cloths or clean and properly processed food will be an effort in futility. They would rather eat from what comes out of the stinking and horrible looking gutters or refuse dumps than eat in a clean, habitable environment. Their childhood dreams of becoming great men and women to be reckoned with in life are miles away from them. There is not more sanity in them. That is the negative effect of “drug controlled life”.
The evil that men do lives after them. This explains why some women who live their lives on drugs give birth to babies with deformities. Often times, such births are presumed to be ill-luck from God. Alas! God does not delight himself in the suffering of mankind. “Let no none say when he is tempted: ‘I am tempted by God’, for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and entices by his own desires”, said James 1:13-14 in the Holy Scripture.
The large in-take of drugs by pregnant mothers has resulted in the birth of some babies with deformity. Drug abuse leads to mental retardation on infants, especially among mother who are drug addicts. “The child will either be born as an imbecile or it may even lose some parts of its body”, said Dr. B.T.Y. Aina. The large production and distribution of drugs have given fertile, grounds for the spread in the activities of drug users. The nefarious activities inherent in a drug-controlled life pose a great threat to the well being of our youths. The presence of drug users at the home-front and street portends social danger. The unexpected could happen when least expected. A supposed gentle and kindhearted person can metamorphose into a cold-blooded fellow when under the influence of drugs. This explains why some youths today have the guts to abuse and even beat-up elderly persons old enough to be their parents without showing remorse for their action.
Because drug addicts attach little or no value at all to their lives, they consider it a strenuous task to value other people’s lives. To them, live is valueless. Most gory accident scenes that characterize the roads of this country are a resultant effect of the actions of these addicts who ride bikes or drive cars under the influence of drugs. While some victims lost their lives in the process, others are left with permanent deformities.
In the past, d rug addicts were only found in the urban centres. On the contrary today, the activities of these addicts have been shifted to the rural areas. Even the remotest of all villages are surrounded by them. The sudden change is as a result of the shift in the base of drug barons to remote areas. This has given impetus to the large involvement of rural settlers in drugs. It calumniates in the large production of some of these drugs.
The question: Do drugs controlled life? Connotes that drugs affect all and sundry. No individual or authority is left out of the hook. ‘it becomes difficult for government to protect us if most Nigerians are into drugs’, said Dr Aina.
The increase in the number of drug addicts who would rather scoop for money to satisfy their urge for drugs than confine themselves to the four walls of the classroom is a serious social risk. The presence of their peers in school does not call for a rethink in them. The thought of returning to school is never contemplated. What matters most is how to raise money to buy drugs. And when all efforts prove abortive, they resort to the last option; petty stealing which develops into armed robbery. Their involvement in armed robbery means people can no longer sleep with their eyes closed. Dr Aina said, “anyone who is into drugs would do anything to maintain that status”.
The onus of curbing this menace from escalating lies on all and sundry; nobody is exempted. From the home-front, parents should take it upon themselves to educate, monitor and caution their children on inherent dangers these drugs pose to their lives. This responsibility neither lies on parents alone non the teachers in schools. Both parents and teachers, community elders, government authorities and the general public should be involved in the collective fight against this social menace.
Children owe themselves the responsibility of staying away from bad companies. 1 Corinthians 15:33 said, “do not be deceived. Bad company ruin good moral.” It is therefore paramount for these future leaders to dwell their focus the bright and promising future that lies ahead of them rather than allow d rugs to control their lives. If drugs did not favour those who were into it in the past, it will certainly not favour those who wiil mortgage their future to it. “You can either make or mar the future,” said Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule, the renown elder statesman and Nigeria’s former envoy to the UN.
Educational institutions are not left out. It has an enormous task before it being a key player in children’s life. The tas k before it involves educating the children on the negative effect of drugs. Thyis could be enhanced by establishing Drug Free Club in schools with the view to propagate the message effectively through debate, drama, workshops and seminars. This means augmenting the efforts of parents who are playing their roles at the home-front and the government through its agencies like the NDLEA and the police.
The active role played by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency is highly commendable in this regard. However, it needs to strengthen its effort by ensuring that culprits that consumers or sellers of illegal drugs are punished according to the stipulations of the law. There is also the need for the culprits to be properly rehabilitated before being allowed to rejoin the society. It will be healthier ;if culprits are empowered with skills in the rehabilitation process so that they do not return to their past dfeviant lifestyles.
It is moreover incumbent on the government to empower the NDLEA with adequate manpower and equipment in order to carry out its stipulated roles effectively. This will further reduce the risk officials of this agency are exposed to in the fight against drug abuse. It also dependant on government at all levels to establish drug rehabilitation centre with adequate personnel and equip it.;
The private sector also needs to augment the efforts of the government in the provision of the rehabilitation and skills acquisition centres. The role of the media and organs not mentioned cannot be over emphasized.
“if all of us can fight against drug abuse, the society can be rid of the social menance”, said Dr Aina. The question: Do drugs control your life? Would therefore be a thing of the past, if all stakeholders will give their unalloyed support to this cause. Remember: “a stitch in time saves nine, ” so they said.
*Anjuguri Jesse Manzah is a youth corper serving with Daily Triumph, kano, Nigeria. He can be reached through his email jesse0183@yahoo.com.
