1. The Nigerian Government is a decade behind on tackling drug abuse:
He mentioned that when comparing the Nigerian Government’s response to the issue of substance abuse with other countries’ such as the United States of America and the United Kingdom, we have had a 10-year-delay! Hence there is need to play catch up, quickly, and in the right direction.
2. Appropriate laws are required:
Similar to the ongoing reforms with respect to rape and gender-based violence, there is a need to deliberately re-examine the laws that govern substance abuse with emphasis on the distribution.
3. Criminalisation of the supply chain:
Dare advised that it was critical to move beyond addressing those who use illicit drugs, to criminalizing the personnel at the source – the ones who produce such substances and sell them to under-aged children as well as the pharmaceuticals that create these substances.
4. Impact of the economy:
He observed that unemployment was another key reason that young Nigerians are being drawn into drug-use – “because they are not able to advance their careers, they are jobless, so they engage in other vices.”
5. Depression:
He pointed out that depression was also a key factor. “We do not have a government system that elevates counselling and treatment of depression.” He pointed out that depression is still an idea that Nigerians read about.
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