Unless there is urgent intervention, experts have warned that Nigeria may be building a nation of drug addicts. This is not unconnected with latest reports which show that 3 million bottles of codeine are consumed daily in Kano and Jigawa States. Even the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration of Nigeria, NAFDAC, has expressed worry over uncontrolled use of codeine containing cough syrups across the country.

Also just last week, the Medical Director, Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, Dr. Oluyemisi Ogun, had confirmed a sharp increase in the number of patients with drug-related cases seen at the hospital in recent times. Ogun who spoke at a symposium put together by the Health Writers Association of Nigeria, HEWAN, with the theme: “Emergency Response to Disease Outbreaks: The Way Forward in Nigeria”, said although the threat of communicable disorders was evident, the nation ought to be more worried about non-communicable disorders like drug abuse. “We are talking about communicable diseases, but we have another epidemic on hand, which is the issue of drug abuse. We are seeing more and more of this and it is a menace. I would urge that attention be drawn to it urgently. “There is no family now that is not affected. Our children are at risk as much as our husbands, wives and other relatives. It is actually more than an epidemic. In all the nooks and crannies around us there are people selling drugs and we needed to bring this threat to the realm of the public and the government for us to be able to do something about it.”
Noting that the issue of drug abuse should at the forefront of the public domain, Ogun noted that all the security agencies, particularly the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA that have a role to play should be able to do so much. In her submission, a Deputy Director of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration of Nigeria, NAFDAC, Mrs Abayomi Bolaji who spoke on behalf of the Director General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye raised alarm over the spate of abuse of codeine containing cough syrups. Bolaji lamented that the Agency was worried about the incessant abuse of codeine in recent times. “We have codeine which is currently being abused. I want to let you know that in the course of our regulatory activities, if we find codeine in a Patent Medicine Store, the person will be heavily sanctioned. Codeine has medicinal use and what the Agency does is that we give permit for it to be imported and sold.” Bolaji said NAFDAC goes as far as collating the stock from the warehouses, manufacturing facilities, and takes stock of what the importer has used and imported to produce and follow up distribution. “But unfortunately, we know people cut corners. Codeine containing syrups are not supposed to be freely sold, they are not Over-the-Counter drugs but somehow they get into the hands of people through the pharmacies or Patent medicine dealers, but it is part of our regulatory functions to control the circulation and importation of these drugs. “If peradventure a manufacturer cannot give account of the quantity that he was given permit to import, he is heavily sanctioned and may not be given permission to import next time. Because of the education of the pharmacists they cooperate but the patent medicine dealers y are the ones selling at night, and we cannot get them when we go during the day time. But it has been discovered that they go as far as hiding these drugs with persons in the next shop, maybe with a tailor or barber. People need to be told the consequences of their action. It is not only just about money. The demand for codeine containing cough syrups is so high.” Findings by Vanguard showed that following the alarm raised three months ago of rising incidences and reports of drug abuse, particularly codeine-containing cough syrups in the 19 Northern states of the Federation, the Senate and other relevant stakeholders are converging in Kano today for a two- day roundtable on drug abuse. It was reported that in 2015 alone, over 2,205 people were arrested in North-West geo-political zone by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, over drug-related abuses. Vanguard gathered that the roundtable will enable the Senate effectively analyze Nigeria’s response to the menace and come up with appropriate strategies on the way forward. During the roundtable, the drivers of drug abuse in Nigeria are to be isolated, with the aim of identifying the psychosocial and medical impact of the phenomenon, assessing current responses, legislative gaps and opportunities for action. Among expected outcomes include: gaining a better understanding of drug use, prevalence, trends and patterns in Nigeria; understanding the current government and Civil Society capacity and efforts towards addressing drug abuse and related issues; gain insight into legislative, policy gaps and develop an Action Plan for interventions by the National Assembly and other stakeholders.
It would be recalled that Senate, had in October, this year, raised the alarm about the drug abuse threat in the 19 states, where women, young girls in tertiary institutions, working class ladies, married, unemployed women displaced by Boko Haram insurgency, among others, were involved in drug abuse. The Senate had mandated its Joint Committee on Drugs and Narcotics and Health to investigate the growing menace of cough and other prescriptive drugs abuse and report back to the Senate on the needed legislative interventions to combat the trend. The senators stressed that secondary school students consumed cough syrups regularly. The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, said that the Senate will take necessary actions to reduce the growing menace.

According to NAFDAC, Codeine is an opiate used for its analgesic (pain reliever) and more commonly antitussive effect (cough suppressant) in cough syrups. “Codeine containing cough syrups are effective in the management of certain coughs. However, it has a high potential for abuse and may present some serious adverse reactions to the user. For these reasons, access to codeine containing cough syrups has been restricted in several countries. Some of the known adverse effects of codeine include: respiratory depression; hallucination and physical dependence as a result of continued use. NAFDAC is currently working with the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria (PCN), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) to arrest the increasing abuse of these cough syrups in Nigeria. NAFDAC is embarking on massive public enlightenment campaign on the dangers of abuse of codeine containing medicines in Nigeria. The Agency has put in place strategy to limit the supply and distribution of codeine containing cough syrups in Nigeria. Prescribers and dispensers are encouraged to prescribe and dispense these cough syrups rationally. Consumers are advised to take codeine containing cough syrups only on prescription by health care professionals.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/12/experts-worry-high-demand-codeine-nationwide/

Northerners Ehn..
Black snake under black blanket

Mostly consumed by women

The government should ban it

Some of our leaders are drug addicts too.

RELIGION OF PEACE ARE DRUG ADDICTS

Gunpowder waiting to explode.

Hmm... People abusing drugs to their own detriment, thus, jeopardizing their lives

People should be taught on the effects of some drugs they take...Some people are ignorant of the repercussion of things they take into their bodies

Let's be wise!

sarrki:
Mostly consumed by women

How did you know?

Most times.. they just want to escape the realities of life.

No wounder they are still blind upon all d hunger they are still shouting sai baba... Now I knw is not with ordinary eye

Too bad

Why are northern women turning to drugs? I think the oppressive male domineering cultural environment is taking a heavy tow on their emotions.
The misapplication of Islamic doctrines whereby women are not allowed to express themselves and must covered themselves or put in pudah against their wish is not helping matter.

Almajiri, they hate beer, but embrace syrup and other hard drugs


Stewpid folks

old news

Good for business

they will tell u its everyother persin but them dst do drugs.. the report must be from ipob..

koolaid87:
Almajiri, they hate beer, but embrace syrup and other hard drugs


Stewpid folks

as if no be the same highing. codeine never dey in the old, when dem outlaw alchihol.

Little wonder growth and development is slow in that state.

I agree with my dear friend Sarrki,
Most of the women with full face veils and hijabs are perpetually stoned.

That's why they cover up to hide their blood shot eyes.

Only a girl stoned will agree to use a veil or hijab to hide her beauty.
Only someone high on drugs will go to a salon, make her hair, make up her face, then wear a full body veil that covers both.

Even my bible tells me that no one lights a candle and hides it under his bed.
Luke 8:16

codeine have always been abused in the north, the current noise is an attempt to dislodge the control of the pharmaceutical sector from the igbos, who else remembers the phone call by the borno state governor where he exposed their evil plans against the Igbo pharmaceutical dealers in the north?

Yet they keep forming that sharia law of "no beer parlour". Who's deceiving who? These are the same set of people that smoke dried gutter particles.

The abuse is now a national thing though other states de learn work for wer northern states de.

This is big business for the importers.

See many comments shading the north over codine. Every topic is now subjected to tribal connotations of nairaland. Quite appalling.

Here in the south, the abuse is even worse beyond codine especially among the youths irrespective of gender. They now call it Coco, you even hear names like SK, loud, tramadol, rephnol and lots I can't even pronounce. This was the subject of discussion with some folks yesterday.

It is now like a standard for young guys who are in their early 20s to spike their system with sex enhancing drugs before they can perform in 'the other room.' How do you rationalise this please? I wonder what they will be consuming when they are in their 40s and above.

Don't even know where to place the blame. Is it wrong societal influence, failed family control, terrible upbringing, total lack of government intervention and regulations or the erroneous definition of our value system? What role are the churches playing on this issue?

The hard truth is drug abuse is becoming a norm among the youths in this country, regardless of gender or region.

Urgent measures need to be taken or Prof. Wole Soyinka's words might just come to pass. Wasted generations I shudder to think about it.

NwaAmaikpe:

3million, nawa!

That just reminded me of one incidence in Katsina state, during the Ramadan fasting period, about three guys around 6:30pm or so, when it was time for breaking of fast, rushed to a chemist shop while d owner of d shop was trying to go for prayers, they were seriously begging him to attend to them, he refused. Those guys Sat on the floor n waited till that man got back from prayers, I thought one of them was sick o, until the guy came back and they bought one bottle of syrup with codeine, they shared it amongsts themselves and they were seriously thanking the owner of the shop... "Mallam.mun gode fa, mun gode"

Turning cough syrup to beer. This is serious

Kí ni big deal

factsandfigures:
Why are northern women turning to drugs? I think the oppressive male domineering cultural environment is taking a heavy tow on their emotions.
The misapplication of Islamic doctrines whereby women are not allowed to express themselves and must covered themselves or put in pudah against their wish is not helping matter.

Don't think too far alcohol is banned so they need an alternative that's why they do so much drugs

Simple don't get your head thinking too much