- Curiosity makes youths to experiment with drugs –Psychiatrist
“I still don’t regret my action because I cannot see myself living with somebody that I don’t love and this is a person I hate the most. I was forcefully married out by my parents and I warned them that the consequences of their actions would be severe.
“Today, I have managed to get relief from the heartbroken marriage by taking the syrup that would make me forget everything”. Those were the words of a Kano-based housewife, Madam Zulai Shehu, who had been a victim of codeine syrup and other hard drugs, in a bid to get relief from a forced marriage.
Madam Shehu is not alone in this predicament as checks by Saturday Telegraph revealed more than what could be imagined. Many homes had been affected in the ancient city of Kano as housewives are turning prostitutes and young ladies run drug errands as an aftermath of the illegal trade and consumption.
From our findings, a recent report that led to the public outcry over abuse of codeine drugs may just be a tip of the iceberg as an investigation carried out by our correspondent revealed how hundreds of married women, ladies and female teens engage in the illegal consumption that has turned many of them into addicts. Apart from the married women, who massively engaged in the act, others have capitalised on the situation, becoming barons and making brisk money from those that negatively undertake the illegal consumption.
I have heard news of recalled prescriptions because of the illegal consumption of methadone, a common heroin supplement, because of the trading among the younger members of society. It is always important to understand how the FDA work through phases of drug testing to ensure it is safe for public consumption.
They have also extended the illicit trade and illegal consumption to teenagers, some of whom had become masters of the trade. More alarming is the fact that some of these girls, who are supposed to be in school, have become instrument of sex.
A closer look and chats with some of the teenagers showed that their ages range between 13 and 19. Although the drugs being consumed by the Kano women vary, it is however a common knowledge that the most of them are more enthusiastic when they come in contact with some drugs, such as, codeine syrup, violins, refanol and Desy tablets, which are the most commonly abused.
Self-confessions from some of the women interviewed at a private rehabilitation centre in Kano, revealed that this set of drugs give them extra energy and turn them into sex machines when they have the urge to go into the act, and could make them go extra rounds, taking them hours for a full sexual satisfaction.
According to an inmate, Talatu Yargari, apart from the sexual prowess the victims enjoy, the drugs also allow the women easily forget their troubles, occasioned by frosty relationship with their husbands. He also explained that the young ladies who are specialised in the drugs addictions are doing so, not only to satisfy their sexually urge but to also make their partners comfortable as most of their customers prefer to stay long during sex intercourse.
“They do it to let their men enjoy them very well. Their partners like to spend time with them and after the show; they also spend hours thereafter, sleeping without any disturbance”.
Codeine gives me sound sleep –Yarbaba
Another victim, 16-yearold Iyya Yarbaba, who refused her picture should be taken, told one of our correspondents that she got into the drug addiction through a friend in her school. Narrating her ordeal to Saturday Telegraph, Yarbaba explained that her parents were not initially aware of what she was doing because she used to take the drugs at late hours and that usually gave her a sound sleep.
“I will sleep till morning without knowing what is happening but you know nothing bad gets hidden away. With time, everybody got to know what I was doing and by that time, it had become difficult for me to do away with it”.
The desire to combat sleeplessness or anxiety are often the predominant reasons for an individual to begin experimenting with this kind of drug in the first place; benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms are side effects of coming off a drug that is considered a form of tranquilliser and are very unpleasant. This means people suffering with them need support to make the recovery process a more manageable one.
Friends lured me into drugs –Sani
Another housewife, Mariya Sani, who is visibly a junkie, expressed dissatisfaction at her parents, whom she claimed forced her into an early marriage against her wish. Telling Saturday Telegraph how she became a junkie, Sani confessed that she grossly indulge in drugs. “I started this dastardly act way back; it was about five years ago, when my parents chose to marry me off.
They forced me into marriage because of bad influence. I was always with friends who want to have lavish lifestyles and because I am from a poor family, I had no option than to steal in order to fit in.
“As I was moving with them using whatever I might have stolen to get involved, my family realised that I had gone haywire and that I should be retrieved to normal life, but it was somewhat late, because I had gone deeply into it and become a drug addict by that time. “Despite my condition, they still married me out, but I maintained my old habit.
That is why I was brought to this private rehabilitation centre, it was a joint decision between my parents and my husband who still loves me’. Bilki YarSani is another drug addict undergoing rehabilitation at one of the rehabilitation centre visited by our correspondent in Kano.
YarSani, who was in chains, apparently due to her violent nature, was said to have been taken to the centre in order to save her and the public from any harm she might cause.
The operator of the center who initially barred our correspondent from speaking with the intimates also refused giving his own name while insisting that his centre should not be mentioned.
He however informed that YarSani’s condition was a disturbing one when she arrived the private centre and had to be tamed owing to her wild habits. “She was brought to this place to be rehabilitated and we had to stay on her case because she cannot be allowed to move freely”. However, after much persuasion, Saturday Telegraph managed to speak with YarSani, who expressed her regrets in a hush tone.
And when challenged on the genuineness of her regrets, she was quick to say that she won’t go back into drugs. “I regret my actions, and can now see what my parents were telling me; they warned that my life was in danger if I continued what I was doing. Let me make a promise to them that this would be the last time I will get myself involved in this ugly act”, she vowed.
NDLEA confirms rising menace
However, the government is not unaware of the rising menace as the Commander of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency in Kano, Mallam Hamza Umar, confirmed that the use of illicit drugs is becoming rampant among married women in the state. Speaking with Saturday Telegraph, Umar noted that drugs are getting into matrimonial homes through the influence of friends, under the cover of being sales agents, and through the women financial contributory system called ‘adashi’.
Other channels, according to the NDLEA commander, is the relationship between some divorcées and married women, young girls that are friends to married women, and the fact that some housewives attend social activities that brought them in contact with people whose characters could be called to question.
He said no matter what a husband does, he cannot separate his wife from bad friends but combined efforts of government, community and parents would drastically bring the menace to its knees.
When Saturday Telegraph recalled a recent report that said illicit drugs worth millions of naira had been consumed in Kano alone and that about three million persons are involved in drugs, the governor’s Senior Special Adviser on Mobilisation Against Drugs, Nasidi Abdullahi Dorayi, debunked the allegations, saying several measures had been adopted to tackle the menace and it is highly working with positive changes. “Today as a result of this serious menace there are over five rehabilitation centers in Kano filled to capacity with victims of codeine syrups, cutting across all races.
There are Mariri, Goron Dutse Dawanau and Shahuci rehabilitation centres that attend to both young, old, women and men victims of drug addicts and mainly codeine syrup. Though some of these centres were originally built to accommodate people with psychiatric problems, not necessarily from drug addictions, they have been almost taken over by drugs addicts who are found roaming the streets. A check by our correspondent showed that the only professional drug victims’ rehabilitation centre had since been shut down. There needs to be more drug rehabilitation centers in the area for people that are suffering from addiction.
While the Director of Social Welfare at the state Ministry of Women Affairs, Hajara Minjibir refused speaking with our correspondent, other officials confirmed that the Kiru Reformatory Centre is under rehabilitation aimed at admitting young drug addicts, who would be rehabilitated and given jobs by the state government.
“It is on record that before the shutting down of the Kiru Reformatory Centre, it has rehabilitated and graduated well over 10,000 youths, who were given automatic jobs as part of Corporate State Security Guards”
Modelling could be a cause –Gabriel
Reacting to the issue, a clinical psychologist, Dr. Akin Gabriel, said a lot of reasons could be responsible for the act. He explained that the first is the issue of modelling, noting that all the children would model adult behaviour.
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“If the behaviour doesn’t exist, there would be nobody to copy. So, children would mimic adult behaviour in drinking, dancing, smoking or using these psychotic substances. “Apart from that they also tend to mimic those in sports and music industry who they often look up to and they probably want to idolise and want to be like them.
They want to mimic almost everything they do; dressing, drinking and use of drugs. They tend to see these things as part of enjoyment.” Explaining that it could also be as a result of traumatic experiences that they must have gone through, it is sometime psychological or physical.
“When they indulge in these hard drugs, they make them feel, in quote, good and with time they adapt that to manage their emotions and with time it becomes an addiction. Parents who keep these drugs at home could be encouraging their kids to take them without knowing it. Peer group is also paramount here.
“Youths usually want to be like their mates and do what they do without necessarily knowing the consequences because they see it as fun and wants to belong to the happening group.
There is equally the parental neglect. When parents are not there for their children to support and encourage them, a lot of negative things happen around them. “The effects are so many including psychological as well as financial.
When people are addicted to such substance they may not be able to function without them. They depend on the drugs to function optimally and of course they reduce confidence because all the things achieve under the influence of these drugs are fake.
It gives them a false sense of reality. It also encourages neglect in both academic work and personal hygiene. In that instance the person just exists and not live a worthy life.
Parents need to get closer to their children – Psychologist
He further said that one of the ways to get out was the need for parents to get close to their children. They need to understand what their children are going through, their needs and be able to support them.
By so doing they would be able to see their parents as being there for them at all times. They should be their children’s models and be able to practice what they preach to them. It would be wrong to drink and smoke for instance in the presence of their children. Once they do, the children take them as friends and are able to confide in them in times of trouble. Without that they will go outside and try to do what other people do to escape this reality.
Youth very vulnerable –Peters
On his part. a Consultant Psychiatrist, , Dr. Ogunnubi Peters, said, youths are the most venerable and deeply involved group in the social menace of drugs abuse, noting however that drug abuse in Nigeria has reached a frightening proportion because it has pervaded every fibre of the society.
‘Boredom could be a cause’
“One of the most common reasons that teenagers begin experimenting with drugs and alcohol is that they are simply bored and have no deeper interests. They see drugs and alcohol as a pastime to be explored.
Try giving your teenager more responsibilities or extra-curricular activities to get involved with so that he or she doesn’t have the time to think about substance use. “Many teenagers usually are shy and have trouble making friends. They turn to drugs and alcohol to help them feel more confident or to bond with a social group that is known for using these substances.
This isn’t the same as direct peer pressure; it stems from the need to bond and make friends. Encouraging your children to join clubs and sports can help them make friends in a healthy way.
“Some teens turn to drugs and alcohol as a form of escapism. When they are sad or depressed they see these substances as a way to forget and feel happier. It’s their attempt to self-medicate. You may see a sullen attitude as “just being a teenager,” but there may be a deeper depression within.” “Curiosity is a natural part of life and teenagers are not immune to the urge. Many teens begin experimenting with drugs and alcohol simply because they are curious and want to know what it feels like.
As teenagers, they have the delusion that they are invincible. Even if they know that drugs are bad, they don’t believe that anything bad can actually happen to them. Educating your child on the repercussions of drug and alcohol abuse may extinguish this curiosity. “During high school many teenagers are overly stressed with a packed schedule of advanced classes and extracurricular activities. A lack of coping skills can lead them to seek out an artificial method of coping with stress. They then turn to drugs in order to relax. “In teenagers, especially between the ages of 14 and 16, low self-esteem due to physical appearance or lack of friends can lead to self-destructive behaviour. “If there is a family history of drug addiction or alcoholism, teenagers may be genetically predisposed to experiment with drugs and alcohol and become addicted. “Rewiring of the brain: Sleeplessness for days and weeks at a time, total loss of appetite, extreme weight loss, dilated pupils, excited, talkative, deluded sense of power, depression, loss of control, nervousness, unusual sweating, shaking, anxiety, hallucinations, aggression, violence, dizziness, mood changes, blurred vision, mental confusion, agitation “Changes in mental and physical stimulation, altered perception of sound, light, touch. Increase in emotional response and sensual reactions are also factors. “Also, impaired thinking, confused, anxious, depressed, short tempered, panic attacks, suspiciousness, decreased sexual drive and restlessness are some other effects. “Young people who persistently abuse substances often experience an array of problems, including academic difficulties, health-related problems (including mental health), poor peer relationships, and involvement with the juvenile justice system. Additionally, there are consequences for family members, the community, and the entire society. “Declining grades, absenteeism from school and other activities, and increased potential for dropping out of school are problems associated with adolescent substance abuse. A low level of commitment to education and higher truancy rates appear to be related to substance use among adolescents. “Drug abuse not only weakens the immune system but is also linked to risky behaviours like needle sharing and unsafe sex. The combination greatly increases the likelihood of acquiring HIV-AIDS, hepatitis and many other infectious diseases. “Drug abuse can lead to a variety of respiratory problems. Smoking cigarettes, for example, has been shown to cause bronchitis, emphysema and lung cancer. Cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, and lung disease can all be affected by drug abuse. Some of these effects occur when drugs are used at high doses or after prolonged use. “Injuries due to accidents, physical disabilities and diseases, and the effects of possible overdoses are among the healthrelated consequences of teenage substance abuse. Disproportionate numbers ofWarm communication
“This is also an important
way of preventing youths involved with alcohol and other drugs face an increased risk of death through suicide, homicide, accident, and illness. “Youths often are alienated from and stigmatised by their peers. Adolescents using alcohol and other drugs also often disengage from school and community activities, depriving their peers and communities of the positive contributions they might otherwise have made. “The social and economic costs related to youth drug abuse are high. They result from the financial losses and distress suffered by alcohol and drug related crime victims, increased burdens for the support of adolescents and young adults who are not able to become self-supporting, and greater demands for medical and other treatment services for these youth.
Warm communication
“This is also an important way of preventing or controlling drug abuse in the family. The manner of approach in any situation is important. There is a way parents can talk to their child who is engaging in drug and he will stop but there is a way he can be approached it will worsen the situation. There should be humility and love in communication and correction in the family. “There should be genuine appreciation in the family. Parents should always appreciate their children when they do well and parents should also appreciate each other.”
Drugs, wrong feeling for youths –Nuga
A sociologist, Rev. Bola Nuga, has said that the attraction for drug abuse is that most Nigerian youths feel that taking hard drugs makes them belong, makes them bold and gives self confidence to them to be able to do what they will not be able to do ordinarily. He said this is common among those who are timid, and had been abused before. Taking these drugs, he said, provides a soft landing for them to be complete individuals in their own estimation. Nuga listed the effects of hard drugs to include the inability of the addict to think right as an individual, gradually damages of their brain and body system, which makes them to become anti-social within the community. He also said that it colours their views and perception of existence and makes them a black sheep of the family in terms of behavioural pattern. “It negatively affects and hinders their ability to behave as a responsible individual and sometimes make them run mad,” he added.
