Experts brainstorm in Abuja, seek drug-free society
29 March 2024 |
3:23 am
Prominent health professionals in Nigeria have made a case for holistic tackling of drug misuse, saying there is a need for a multidimensional approach to creating a drug-free society.
Prominent health professionals in Nigeria have made a case for holistic tackling of drug misuse, saying there is a need for a multidimensional approach to creating a drug-free society.
The experts, who met in Abuja at ‘Fly Above the High Conference’ to brainstorm on ‘A multi-dimensional approach to creating a drug-free society’ include the Managing Director of Serenity Royale Hospital, Dr Adekunle Adesina, Dr Abubakar Salami, Dr Sam Abah, Salamatu Yahaya and David Folaranmi.
Adesina, in his paper, said drug addiction affects everyone around the addict in some way.
According to him, addiction, which is a chronic, relapsing disorder characterised by compulsive drug craving and use despite adverse consequences, is considered a brain disorder because it involves functional changes to the brain circuits involved in reward, stress and self-control.
He cited a report by the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) in Nigeria, which indicates that 14.3 million (14.4 per cent) of people aged 15 to 64 years abuse drugs.
Speaking on the ‘Role of family in drug demand reduction’, Yahaya said the incidences of drug consumption and abuse were, to say the least, alarming, adding that the development should be of utmost concern to all within Nigerian society and humanity in general.
Yahaya advised: “Spouses, parents, brothers, sisters and extended family members are all stakeholders and must put in efforts and measures to counter the menace of illicit drug sales and use.
“The first strategy to drug demand reduction is to have an appropriate mindset. A lot of families see drug demand reduction as ‘not our concern, business or responsibility’; therefore, having a dissociative mindset. With a dissociative mindset, families are unable to see their all-important role in drug demand reduction.”
She urged families to look beyond the immediate self and become active participants in drug demand reduction by taking up the civic responsibility of reporting persons involved in the production, distribution or consumption of illicit drugs to the appropriate authority.
On how addiction rewires the brain, Abah said drug use of any type activates the same circuits as do behaviours linked to survival and pleasure, such as eating, bonding and sex.
He noted that the drug causes a surge in levels of a brain chemical called dopamine, which results in increased feelings of pleasure.
“With repeated drug exposure, the brain may adapt to the presence of the substance, leading to tolerance, where higher doses of the drug are required to achieve the desired effect. Chronic drug use can lead to physical dependence, characterised by withdrawal symptoms when the drug is discontinued,” he added.
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