Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig Gen Mohamed Marwa (rtd), has said the push for drug integrity tests for youth corps members, prospective couples and others is not punitive but to discourage substance abuse.
He added that it is also to provide early treatment for those who test positive for drugs before their condition degenerates into drug dependence and other health challenges.
Marwa stated this during a meeting with Brig Gen Olakunle Nafiu, the National Youth Service Corps director general. Nafiu led top NYSC officials on a courtesy visit to the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, April 23.
The NDLEA boss said: "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 uses drugs.
"You have mentioned our efforts to cut off access and availability of these drugs. Still, beyond that, we have to work with all stakeholders, including NYSC, to ensure a 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 drug supply reduction, we also do drug demand reduction through preventive measures, as well as counselling 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.
"Another important area of collaboration is the question of drug integrity tests for youth corps members. It‘s a major drug demand reduction effort.
"In the same way, 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 lead to psychiatric problems. It becomes a danger to the user and society."
He said another area of collaboration is the posting of a sizable number of corps members who studied Guidance and Counselling, Psychology, Nursing and Psychiatry to NDLEA Counselling and Treatment Centres across the country as their place of primary assignment during their one-year national service.
He said this will enable the corps members to acquire knowledge and experience in rehabilitation and psychosocial services.
In his response, the NYSC DG described the drug integrity test as a fantastic idea and promised to study the NDLEA proposal for a possible collaboration.