Senate leader, Ahmed Lawan has explained that larger number of drugs abuse in Nigeria takes place in the north.
In his contribution on the floor of the Senate, Tuesday, he said, about 60% of drug abuse in Nigeria takes place in the north, adding that nursing mothers and youths were heavily involved.
Lawan who was visibly disappointed attributed the development to the Boko Haram insurgency, sayings that nursing mothers who lost their husbands and dislodged, have to resort to drugs to suppress their frustration.
“Me President, distinguished colleagues, in the north today the circumstances of attacks by insurgents has heightened drugs abuse in the north”, he said.
“I can say, about 60% drugs abuse takes place in the north including nursing mothers and the yours”, he added.
Senator Ben Murray Bruce representing Bayelsa East Senatorial district reasoned that the country would have to be fixed before fixing drug problems, saying that it was a general phenomenon.
“Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, borh the poor and the rich fomomndrigs. The rich takes drugs to keep them happy, while the poor take it to suppress their thinking”, he said.
Earlier on, the sponsor of the motion on “the need to check rising menace of pharmaceurical drugs abuse among the youths in northern Nigeria”, Senator Baba Kaka Garbai has said, about 3 million youths consume coedine syrup in Jigawa and Kano states alone.
“Aware that research has shown that Jigawa and Kano States consume more than 3 million bottles of Codeine syrup daily, as abusers take up to 3 to 8 bottles per day”, he submitted.
After contributions, Senate President insisted that drugs rehabilitation centres be established across the country.
He also added that NDLEA Acts as well as Pharmaceurical Council of Nigeria be amended towards giving robust supervisory powers to cut the menace of abuse.
Saraki further revealed that they would be a round table stakeholders summit on drugs abuse at the end of the month to look into the areas of concern.
“Distinguished colleagues, I have the privilege of hosting executives of Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria yesterday and hope at the end of this month, we will hold round table stakeholders summit”, Saraki said.
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