Governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatah Ahmed has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on drug and substance abuse.
He spoke when the National President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Pharmacist Ahmed Yakassi, visited him at the Government House in Ilorin.
According to him, the country is challenged with increased crime, such as kidnapping, robbery, cultism and insurgency, largely induced by drug abuse, usually among youths.
He said the right steps must be taken by governments at all levels towards curbing drug abuse which is spreading across all strata of society.
The governor noted that 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.
Ahmed advocated a tripartite arrangement between governments, regulatory authorities and the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) to form platforms to dissuade youths from drug abuse, especially the misuse of over-the-counter and prescription drugs
He said: “The level at which our youths have imbibed drug abuse is becoming alarming – at the basic education, secondary and tertiary level, it is a very serious situation.
“It will require all hands to be on deck. Everybody must be involved in advocacy to ensure that all areas which contribute to the use of drugs are properly handled to give us a better society.”
He promised that the government will improve and compliment the number of PSN in the state, and ensure proper drug dispensation to users. Yakassai said their association was engaged in fighting fake and counterfeit drugs in the country, to ensure sanity in drug administration.