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Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on drug and substance abuse in the country.
Speaking during a courtesy call by the National President of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Pharmacist Ahmed Yakassi, on him at Government House, Ilorin, he said the country is faced with major challenges such as increased crimes, including kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism and insurgency, largely induced by abuse of drugs usually among youths.
The Governor said the right steps must be taken by governments at all levels towards curbing the menace of drug abuse which is spreading across all strata of society like a cancer and must be arrested before it becomes malignant.
Alhaji Ahmed said drug abuse goes hand in hand with violence, stressing that the most theatres of violence and crime in the world have associated problems of drugs and substance abuse.
The Governor said a tripartite arrangement between governments, regulatory authorities and the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) should be instituted to form platforms to dissuade youths from drug abuse, especially the misuse of over the counter and prescription drugs
According to him, “the level to which our youths have imbibed this habit of drug abuse is getting to an alarming rate at all levels; at the basic education level, at the secondary level, at the tertiary level, it is a very serious situation.
“It will require all hands to be on deck. Everybody will be involved in advocacy and in ensuring that all areas that contribute to the use of drugs are properly handled to give us a better society”.
Governor Ahmed said the administration will improve the numbers of PSN in the state and ensure proper drug dispensation to users in the state hospitals.
Earlier, the National President of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) Pharmacist Ahmed Yakassai said their association was engaged in fighting fake and counterfeit drugs in the country and ensuring that there is sanity in drug administration in the country.
