Health
THE Eye Opener Women and Youth Foundation, on Tuesday pledged to support the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in its fight against drugs abuse in the country.
President of the organization, Mrs Margaret Julius, gave the pledge when she visited the Kaduna State Command of the NDLEA.
The visit was part of activities lined up by the foundation to mark the 2020 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, observed globally on June 26, every year.
She explained that the foundation was set to reach out to youth across the state, especially “the confused, rejected and hopeless, as well as the destitute” to create awareness, reform and empower them with skills to be better citizens.
She added that the organisation has been conducting programmes against drug abuse and dangerous smoking addiction, to save the youth from self-destruction.
“Our fight is against illicit drugs and we are determined to fight it in our communities.
“We are targeting the victims and getting them out of it, reforming and empowering them so that they can become what they are supposed to be in their communities,” she said.
According to her, drug abuse has become an epidemic requiring the support of all stakeholders to contain and save the country’s future leaders from destruction.
Mrs Julius said that a recent study has indicated that 70 per cent of the youth live unsecured lives, getting them exposed to all forms of social vices including drug abuse.
“Our work is to go to the root of the problems and we are all ready to collaborate with like minded people to get the youth back to the right path.”
In his remarks, the state NDLEA Commander, Mohammed Abdullahi, represented by his deputy, Uche Ike, noted that youth now use all sorts of concoctions to get intoxicated.
Abdullahi said the NDLEA would work with the foundation to sanitise communities against illicit drug use.
He said parents must discharge their responsibilities properly, to reduce the scourge of drug addiction in communities.
“As you interact with communities and families, try to find out some of the challenges and address them. Tell them that using drugs will not make one a good person, but only push one into hopelessness in future.”
He stressed that the NDLEA welcome the collaboration, as it could not carry out such enormous responsibility alone.
According to him, drug abuse is a serious matter, with devastating consequences on the society.
The NDLEA commander, however, said creating the right awareness among vulnerable groups, as being done by the foundation, would greatly limit the problem.
NAN
– June 23, 2020 @ 18:39 GMT |
Tags: Foundation partners NDLEA to tackle drug abuse in Kaduna State
