WHAT ARE THE COMMONLY ABUSED DRUGS?

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WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES ASSOCIATED WITH DRUG ABUSE?

PHYSICAL: brain damage, liver damage, hypertension, excessive heartbeat, chronic bleeding, damage to unborn babies, cancer, anemia,etc.

PSYCHOLOGICAL: sleeplessness, anxiety, depression, psychosis, craving desire, distorted perception reduced coordination hallucination, panic attacks, etc.

SOCIAL: loss of job, family disintegration, expulsion from school, criminal offences, stealing, assassination, rape, armed robbery, premature death , etc.

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DOES THE AGENCY HAVE REHABILITATION CENTERS? YES

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ARE THERE PROFESSIONALS TO ATTEND TO DRUG DEPENDENT PERSONS AT THE CENTERS? YES

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HOW DO I LOCATE THE NEAREST REHABILITATION CENTERS?

Kindly visit the nearest NDLEA state command

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WHAT ARE THE REASONS FOR DRUG ABUSE?

Many reasons have been abduced to drug abuse. Some of the common predisposing factors in Nigeria are:

• Social pathologies such as unemployment and parental deprivation
• Emotional and psychological stresses such as anxiety, frustration, economic depression
• Peer group pressure characterized by the desire to be accepted among friends or in social circles
• The desire to achieve success in a competitive world; and
• Warped (materialistic ) value system in the society such as the crave to get rich quickly.

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REQUIREMENT FOR REGISTRATION OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATION(NGO)

• Membership of not less than 10(Ten) people
• It must have a constitution
• Permanent structure/fixed address
• Well-equipped internet facilities
• Web site address
• Must be registered with the network of NGO’s Drug Demand Reduction
• Cooperate affairs commission (CAC) registration
• Other areas of specialization apart from Drug Demand Reduction
• Patrons (sponsors) board member
• Past events in Drug Demand Reduction
• Age of the organization

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WHAT ARE GATEWAY DRUGS

Gateway drugs are substances people tend to try first when they start using drugs. These three substances are gateway drugs: Nicotine, Alcohol, Marijuana.

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WHY ARE THEY CALLED GATEWAY DRUGS

Nicotine, alcohol and marijuana are called “gateway drugs” because they are the “gateway” or “point of entrance” that can lead to the use of other substances. In other words, people who use these drugs increase their risk of using other substances.

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WHAT IS ADDICTION

Addiction is the physical or mental “need” for a drug. The process of becoming addicted is usually slow.for example, it can take weeks, months, and even years to become “hooked” on the nicotine in cigarettes. But once a person is addicted, getting and using the drug becomes a very important part of his/her life. Once a person is addicted to one drug, it is easier to become addicted to other drugs.

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HOW CAN GATEWAY DRUGS LEAD TO USING OTHER SUBSTANCES

The moment people smoke their fist cigarette or drink their first beer, they have started a pattern of behavior that gets harder and harder to stop. And each time they are introduced to other drugs, they will be more likely to try them. Using substances also clouds a person’s judgement, making it hard to say “no” when offered other drugs.

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WHY SHOULD I BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE GATEWAYDRUGS

Gateway drugs are the most commonly used, easiest to get and seemly harmless of all drugs. The pressure to try them is great. You should be concerned about them precisely because they are so popular and seem so harmless. In reality, they have many hidden dangers including addiction, physical illness and mental problems. Once a person is addicted, quitting the drug addiction keeps getting harder. That is why the sooner a person stops; the easier it is to beat the addiction.

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IS ALCOHOL A DRUG ?

Absolutely! Alcohol is a drug classified as a depressant. Alcohol is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and goes directly to the brain. Alcohol is the most commonly abused drug in many countries including Nigeria.

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HOW DANGEROUS IS DRUNK DRIVING?

Drunk driving is the leading cause of death in many road accidents. Automobile crashes can be traced to alcohol abuse. Almost everyday someone or some people are killed by a drunk driver.

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WHAT IS WITHDRAWAL?

Withdrawal is the suffering that an addict go through when abruptly stopping drug use. Withdrawal symptoms(the body’s reaction to the physical ‘’need’’ for drug) are what make quitting so hard. Users continue taking as much to avoid as to fell pleasure. Withdrawal symptoms commonly associated with heroin addiction include these and often resemble a case of the flu. Chills, convulsions, craving for heroin, Diarrhoea, Extreme anxiety, fever, itching, runny nose, etc.

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WHY DO YOUNG KIDS USE INHALANTS

Young kids use inhalants because they are cheap and easy to get. They also use inhalants for the following reasons:

• To satisfy curiosity about the substan0ce’s effects
• To experience the changes in perception caused by using inhalants
• To gain recognition and acceptance from peers
• To rebel against or challenge parents or society