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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

Edo, NDLEA take drug abuse campaign to schools

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

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  • Edo State and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) launched an anti-drug campaign in schools to warn students about the dangers of substance abuse.
  • Officials explained that drugs can cause memory loss, poor judgment, addiction, and mental health issues, potentially jeopardizing academic and future goals.
  • Students were taught strategies to resist drugs, and the campaign reinforced the state government's zero-tolerance policy on drug-related offenses.

Edo State authorities, in partnership with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), are actively engaging students in schools to combat substance abuse. The campaign aims to educate young people about the severe consequences of drug use, emphasizing its impact on cognitive functions and overall well-being.

Your brain is like your phone’s processor. Drugs are the virus. They cause memory loss, poor judgment, addiction, and mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.

— Mitchell OfoyejuComparing the brain's vulnerability to drugs during an anti-drug awareness campaign for students.

During an awareness event at Niger College in Benin City, NDLEA State Commander Mitchell Ofoyeju and Senior Special Assistant to the Governor Andrew Efe addressed students. Ofoyeju used analogies, comparing the brain to a phone's processor vulnerable to viral damage from drugs, leading to memory loss, poor judgment, addiction, and mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. He stressed that the brain develops until around age 25, making early drug damage particularly detrimental to academic success and future aspirations.

Ofoyeju detailed the risks, including damage to vital organs, expulsion from school, and imprisonment. He also introduced the "Five Ds" – Delay, Deflect, Decline, Distance, and Disclose – as methods for resisting drug offers. The NDLEA assured students that its telephone counseling and treatment services are free and confidential.

Your brain is still developing until about age 25. If you damage it now with drugs, your WAEC, NECO and university dreams may become difficult to achieve.

— Mitchell OfoyejuExplaining the long-term impact of drug abuse on developing brains to senior secondary school students.

Governor Monday Okpebholo's administration's zero-tolerance stance was reinforced by Efe, who urged students to prioritize their education and future. "Tramadol and codeine dull the mind. The only ‘high’ that lasts is the high of passing your exams and making your parents proud," he advised. Students were encouraged to report drug offers and see themselves as future leaders committed to a drug-free Edo State. The campaign concluded with over 300 students pledging to reject drugs.

Tramadol and codeine dull the mind. The only ‘high’ that lasts is the high of passing your exams and making your parents proud.

— Andrew EfeSenior Special Assistant to the Governor, advising students on the importance of academic achievement over drug-induced euphoria.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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