Kaduna Schools: Drug free clubs to be introduced

The Kaduna State Bureau for Substance Abuse, Prevention and Treatment says it would establish 200 new drug free clubs in secondary schools across the state to curb substance abuse among students.

The Director General of the bureau, Dr Baka Isah-Shaedouw made the disclosure on Thursday in Kaduna.

He said the aim was to engage the youths at an early age and encourage them to shun drugs and resist peer pressure to abuse drugs.

“We are embarking on sensitisation visit to some secondary schools in the state to establish more drug free clubs to curb the menace of drug abuse in the state

“We have drug free club in almost 300 schools being run by the Youth Corps members and we are targeting additional 200 schools by the end of this year,” he said.

Isah-Shaedouw stressed that the clubs would guide the students against indulging in social vices and educate them on the dangers of substance abuse.

According to him, statistics have shown that substance abusers ranged from age 12-40 years, most of whom are either unskilled, unschooled, students or the unemployed.

He added that several factors influenced youths to abuse drugs.

“The major ones are: peer pressure, weak parental control, child abuse, imitation, emotional stress, truancy among students, the availability of the drugs and ineffectiveness of the laws on drug trafficking.

“These drugs range from most common and less expensive such as cigarettes and alcohol to expensive and more deadly such as cocaine and heroin.

“The drugs commonly abused are tramol, panadol extra, benelin with codine, aspirin, caffeine, laxaten, alabakun, and antibiotics.

“With the recognition of drug abuse as a global health problem, the war must be fought on all fronts.

“The war against drug abuse must be fought particularly among adolescents and youths who have been consistently identified as high flak group.

“Students in junior and senior secondary school as well as tertiary institution constitute a large proportion of this group,” the director general said.

He expressed the belief that the drug-free clubs would provide a forum for students to pursue activities aimed at promoting drug-free life-styles as they pursue their education .

“It is therefore, necessary for the students to show concern about drugs and drug related problems and how to get rid of both among them.”

According to him, the club will promote alternative activities to drug involvement, increase understanding of its dangers, encourage students to resist drug use and persuade those using drugs to seek help.

Isah-Shaedouw said the state plans to establish three drug rehabilitation centers in the three senatorial zones, to treat youths with substance abuse problem.

“The state government is working hard towards the establishment of rehabilitation centers in the state since we only have privately owned centers.

“I am suggesting that we have two rehabilitation centers in Kaduna town because drug abuse is more in urban areas than rural areas.”