Following the BBC documentary on codeine addiction and its devastating effect on Nigerians particularly the youth, the Federal Government recently banned the production, importation and the use of codeine as an active pharmaceutical ingredient for making cough syrup.
That action was typical of our leaders, people who never seek shelter from the rain unless they are drenched. The problem of substance abuse has been festering for so long. Many journalists have talked about it on the radios and televisions. Editorials, features and opinion articles have been severally written on the malaise in the print media. The social media have been awash with drug addiction issues. But what did the Nigerian government do? Virtually nothing! No attention was paid to the problem. So for me, the BBC documentary did not reveal anything new. The only new thing is that the story was done by an “oyibo” media organization and that’s why the authorities are running up and down. We wait until some international agency labels us either in the positive or negative before we know the steps to take.
However, kudos to the BBC reporter for making our leaders rise up to their duties. Even though the ban on codeine may not stop its use as the sellers may go underground and start selling it at exorbitant prices, it may curtail its access and use. But the truth is that codeine is just one out of the many drugs that are being abused. There are many others – tramadol, valium, lexotan, blue boy and others. Will all these be banned not minding that people that genuinely require these medicines will be denied access to them? And if you ban all these, what will you do about the addicts who sniff pit toilets, lizard dung, and soak away to get high?
Besides, what is the assurance that these drugs will still not be freely available even after they are banned? Many years ago there was a ban on Indian hemp but has that stopped people from selling and using it? Are people not still growing it? Again, there is ban on the importation of rice, yet all the markets in the country are flooded with all sorts of foreign rice.
So, one will like to align with the people that believe the best way to curtail the abuse of these drugs is to strengthen the distribution network and truly control their distribution since most of them are controlled drugs. Let these drugs be sold by professionals and strictly with prescription as it is done in other civilized countries. Allowing non pharmacists have access to medicine and sell them like merchants is a major contributor to the rising cases of drug abuse which must be addressed.
Most importantly, what leads these youths to addiction must be addressed. Speaking on radio recently, a psychologist identified family dysfunction as a major doorway through which addiction creeps in. She said the negative attitudes and actions of parents have great effect on the children, some of who may blame themselves when things are not going on amicably among their parents and may decide to take solace in drugs.
Other reasons for addiction, according to the psychologist, are idleness and trauma. She said trauma like rape, death of a loved one, lack of parental care and love can easily lead youths to addiction. Of course, these are issues we deal with every day in our today’s society. Rape cases are on daily increase, people lose their parents and other relatives due to the incessant killings going on in different parts of the country. Children are daily being traumatized by all the killings, fighting and other negative things happening around them. The unabating herdsmen/farmers’ clash has left thousands of people homeless, fatherless and motherless and highly traumatized. What of political violence, Boko Haram killings, unnecessary killings and torture by the military. These have a lot of negative effects on the youth. No doubt, some have taken and some will take to drugs as a result of these.
Perhaps these are the issues the authorities need to address instead of merely banning the use of codeine or shutting down pharmaceutical companies that produce this drug. Let there be an end to all the senseless killings in the country. What about coming up with policies that will improve our economy and create employment opportunities to cater for the idle youths? What about having responsible governance at both federal, state and local government levels that will truly cater for the well being of the citizens instead of the common wealth being enjoyed by only a privileged few?
Government should also consider opening more rehabilitation centers across the country. That a country of over 180 million people has less than 20 proper rehabilitation centers doesn’t indicate that the country is serious about solving addiction problems.
Drug addiction is indeed a ticking time bomb that might consume the low and the high, rich and poor, educated and illiterate if urgent steps are not taken to address it now. To stem the ugly tide, all hands must be on deck. Parents, religious leaders, community and youth leaders, law enforcement agencies, nongovernmental organizations must join hands in doing the needful and educating our youths on the dangers of drug abuse. We must be concerned about this malaise and play our role to solve it in order to have an addiction-free future generation.

Calista Ezeaku