In a bid to curb unbridled drug abuse among students, the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have jointly agreed to have compulsory and random integrity drug tests for students in tertiary institutions across the country. They also plan to incorporate the updated drug education in the secondary school curriculum.
This was the outcome of a recent meeting in Abuja between the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig-Gen Buba Marwa (rtd), where the duo discussed measures to curb substance abuse among students. The minister has also approved a review of the current secondary school curriculum to incorporate updated drug education.
Some of the far-reaching measures to stem drug abuse proposed by the NDLEA include revising drug education content in schools, introducing stand-alone drug abuse prevention programmes in secondary schools, and implementing a drug testing policy for tertiary institutions.
The random drug test will cover returning students and new ones. No doubt, the drug scourge in the country is a threat to national security and youth development. Moreover, there is a link between drug use and criminal activities such as terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other heinous crimes.
Considering the dangers of drug abuse among the youths, the introduction of compulsory drug tests for students in tertiary institutions in the country is timely and welcome. Drug abuse among students in tertiary institutions and even secondary schools has accounted for poor performance in schools and other social vices. It is also associated with criminal activities such as cultism, violence, and rape.
It is good that some higher institutions have commenced drug testing for both old and new students to determine their drug status. With the new policy in place, every tertiary institution will embrace it. Although the NDLEA and the Ministry of Education have shown concern to combat the menace in our tertiary institutions, parents, community and religious leaders must be part of the crusade to curb drug use among students.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Drug Report 2023 underscored the high rate of drug use globally. The report specifically revealed that in 2021, 1 in every 17 people aged 15-64 in the world had used a drug in the past 12 months. It also showed that the estimated number of drug users grew from 240 million in 2011 to 296 million in 2021. This translates to 5.8 per cent of the global population aged 15-64.
This is a 23 per cent increase, partly due to population growth. The report showed that the most used drug was cannabis, with an estimated 219 million users or 4.3 per cent of the global adult population in 2021. Similarly, the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region recent report on substance abuse says that cannabis remains the most widely used illicit substance in the African Region. It also shows that the highest prevalence and increase in use is being reported in West and Central Africa with rates between 5.2 per cent and 13.5 per cent.
According to the report, amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) such as “ecstasy” and methamphetamine now rank as Africa’s second most widely abused drug type. Other highlights of the report show that the harmful use of alcohol results in 3.3 million deaths each year. At least 15.3 million persons have drug use disorders. In Nigeria, the UNODC 2022 report showed that 14.4 per cent or 14.3 million Nigerians between the age of 15-64 years abuse drugs. According to NDLEA, the most commonly abused substances include cannabis, followed by the non-medical use of opioids such as tramadol, codeine, and morphine, as well as cough syrups containing codeine or dextromethorpan.
Arising from the foregoing figures on drug abuse, the menace has become a present danger in the country which must be urgently addressed. It is time to reset our moral and social values. The current emphasis on material things should be jettisoned. We must revive our cultural and spiritual values. Without societal moral rebirth, the drug integrity tests for students and having drug education in school curriculum will not do much.
Besides, there should be sensitization programmes on the dangers of drug abuse for youths across the country, especially those in secondary schools. State governments should complement federal government’s effort in this regard. Private secondary schools should also be part of this programme. The National Orientation Agency (NOA) should lead the enlightenment campaign on the dangers of drug abuse in the 36 states and 774 local government areas in the country. We believe that the sustained campaign will go a long way in curbing the scourge.
