Janet Ogundepo
As the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, is commemorated on Wednesday, June 26, the President of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria, Professor Taiwo Obindo, has called for adequate awareness and education on drug abuse to begin at the primary school level, to prevent early exposure to substance use.
He warned that early drug use significantly affects the brain, making treatment more challenging.
The psychiatrists said prevention was important given that substance use affects the user’s brain and over 80 per cent of people needing mental healthcare in Nigeria are unable to access it due to rising costs.
In an exclusive interview with PUNCH Healthwise, Obindo also called for constant awareness drives and the education of young children on the dangers of illicit substance use.
“Prevention is much better than cure,” he asserted, noting that early intervention was important to prevent drug use addiction and disorder as well as to mitigate future mental health crises.
The 2024 theme for the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is, ‘The Evidence is Clear: Invest in Prevention’ and it is targeted at strengthening action and cooperation to achieve a drug abuse-free world.
According to the World Health Organisation, 970 million people globally lived with a mental disorder in 2019, with anxiety and depression being the most common.
The National Institute of Mental Health also notes that substance use disorder is a treatable mental disorder that affects a person’s brain and behaviour, consequently causing the inability to control their need and use of illicit drugs or medications.
Data from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 Mental Disorders Collaborators indicated that mental disorders included depression, anxiety and other forms of mental disorders.
It added that between 1990 and 2019, the global number of disability-adjusted life-years due to mental disorders increased from 80.8 million to 125.3 million.
Data on Drug Use in Nigeria, 2018 from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that 14.4 per cent, that is 4.3 million people aged 15 to 64 years used drugs.
But in 2016, the global annual prevalence of any drug use was 5.6 per cent among the adult population, reflecting a comparatively high figure.
In a week-long activity organised by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to commemorate the 2024 World Drug Day, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Country Deputy Representative, Danilo Campisi, predicted a 40 per cent increase in drug use in Africa by 2030.
He further advised the country to invest heavily in drug use preventive measures and adopt a scientific evidence-based approach to prevention and treatment.
PUNCH Healthwise previously reported that over 60 million Nigerians battle mental illnesses, with the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Yaba, Lagos State, recording a 100 per cent increase in psychiatric admissions in December 2023.
Obindo, in an earlier interview, had decried the inability of persons accessing care, especially for substance use disorder, to afford the cost of care and treatment.
In a recent interview, the APN president noted, “More than 80 per cent of those who need care cannot access care. And the cost of care, as I mentioned, some of them are even in the ranges of millions. How many Nigerians can afford three hundred and something thousand monthly for the care of one person? So, the government needs to come in to assist in subsidising the care.”
He attributed the constant search for newer and cheaper substances to the impact of psychoactive drugs on their brain neurons.
Consequently, the don noted, such persons needed medical attention and rehabilitation.
“They keep innovating as a result of the effects or the impact of the psychoactive drugs or substances on their brain, which makes them want to recreate and find other ways to satisfy their urges. They are dependent on it and it takes more than just asking them to stop.
“Also, it’s because they cannot afford to get what they used to have. So, they would then try to innovate, look for other means, other cheaper means that would give them the same high that they got,” Obindo said.
The psychiatrist, however, noted that the current rehabilitation facilities were inadequate to cater for many Nigerians in need of them.
“Therefore, rehabilitation centres would need to be established more. The number we have in the country may be that of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospitals. We have ten of them, and a few private facilities are the ones rendering the service,” the APN President said.
He further urged the NDLEA to refer substance users to rehabilitation centres instead of prison yards.
“These people are ill. They have a mental health challenge. They have a restructuring of their brain that would need to be reprogrammed beyond just the enforcement that the NDLEA or the police are doing. I see the NDLEA as a centre to reduce the supply. So, they should focus more on reducing the supply of those psychoactive substances.
“They’re not meant to be taken to prison yards or arrested. And then, yes, when it’s mild, they can be counselled but what they require is rehabilitation,” the APN president said.
Obindo called for adequate awareness and education about drug abuse to begin at the primary school level, asserting that early drug use significantly affects the brain, making treatment more challenging.
“Inculcating this education into the curriculum at primary, secondary, and university levels will help prevent substance abuse by promoting awareness of its consequences, also dissuading people from starting. It is said that the earlier they start, the more the impact because the brain of a child is yet to fully mature. So, when they start early, it’s more difficult to treat. So, all these must be taken into consideration. Prevention is the key,” he explained.
The psychiatrist further urged the Federal Ministry of Health to establish Departments of Mental Health Services to monitor and accredit rehabilitation centres, noting that this would prevent the proliferation of substandard facilities where the rights of those with mental health conditions are often violated.
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