The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa, has stated that the push for mandatory drug integrity tests for youth corps members, prospective couples, and others is aimed at discouraging substance abuse and providing early treatment for those who test positive.
The proposal is part of the agency’s efforts to reduce the demand for drugs among youths, with one in seven Nigerians between the ages of 15 and 64 reportedly using drugs.
Marwa emphasized the need for collaboration with stakeholders, including the National Youth Service Corps, to address the drug that has devastated communities across the country.
The NYSC has already introduced anti-drug abuse clubs in camps.
According to NDLEA boss “the drug scourge has continued to devastate our kids, families, communities, everywhere, there’s nowhere you go in the country that you don’t have a drug abuse problem.
“One in seven Nigerians between the ages of 15 and 64, use drugs. You have mentioned our efforts to cut off access and availability of these drugs but beyond that we have to work with all stakeholders including NYSC to ensure drastic reduction in the demand for drugs by our youths and one of our strategies to address this is through our drug integrity test, which we’re advocating that NYSC should embrace for corps members.
“As I said, while we do the drug supply reduction, we also do drug demand reduction through preventive measures, as well as counseling and rehabilitation.
“Now, these are important areas for further collaboration. You have introduced in the camps, the war against drug abuse clubs, which is fantastic. One other important area of collaboration is the question of drug integrity tests for youth corps members. It’s a major drug demand reduction effort.
“The same way we said, if you are getting married, both the bride and the groom should bring a drug free certificate.
“This is because it is always better to detect drug use early before it gets to addiction, which eventually could get to psychiatric problems and it becomes a danger to the user and society.”
Marwa also suggested posting corps members who studied Guidance and Counselling, Psychology, Nursing, and Psychiatry to NDLEA Counselling and Treatment Centres as part of their national service.
The NYSC Director-General, Brig Gen Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, described the proposal for mandatory drug tests as a “fantastic idea” and promised to study it for possible collaboration.
Nafiu also assured that the scheme would develop guidelines to post qualified corps members to NDLEA commands with counselling and treatment centres across the country.