A counselling psychologist, Dr. Gloria Eifediyi, has raised concerns over the rising rate of drug and substance abuse in Nigeria, particularly among young people.
Eifediyi, who works at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital in Edo, spoke during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos State.
She identified several root causes of youth drug abuse, including broken homes, negative influence from social media, boredom, and unresolved trauma.
While emphasising that “drug abusers are not criminals, but victims who need help,” Eifediyi warned of the devastating consequences of substance abuse on individuals and society at large.
According to her, drug abuse can lead to various mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, psychosis, and bipolar disorder.
“As a society, we are losing our workforce. We import people to do jobs we are capable of handling ourselves,” she said.
“It also contributes to family breakdown, financial hardship, lack of education, and unemployment.”
Eifediyi listed commonly abused substances including cannabis, tramadol, codeine, methamphetamine, and dangerous synthetic opioids like “kush” and nitazenes.
She called for a united response from stakeholders to combat the crisis, reiterating: “Drug abusers are not criminals, they are victims who need help.”
She added, “Parents must be more involved in their children’s lives, know their friends, and listen to them.
“Law enforcement must clamp down on traffickers and the outlets distributing drugs to young people,” she added.
