1) Drug and substance abuse among youths in Nigeria is a significant problem, with cannabis being the most commonly abused drug. 2) Drug abuse has many negative health effects and can lead to addiction due to changes in the brain's reward pathway. 3) Preventing drug abuse requires efforts like education, strong social support systems, and treatment for those already addicted through medical and behavioral therapies.

1. DR. SITU OLADELE mb;bs (Ib)
NYSC corper SUMMIT, NSUK, 10/12/ 2012

2. 
 Introduction
 Definitions
 Patterns of drug abuse among youths in Nigeria
 Effects of drug abuse
 Mechanism of drug addiction
 Escaping the addition
contents

3. 
 Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is a
patterned use of a substance (drug) in which the user
consumes the substance in amounts or with methods
neither approved nor supervised by medical
professionals
 Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease
that causes compulsive drug seeking and use,
despite harmful consequences to the addicted
individual and to those around him or her
definition

4. 
 Drug and substance abuse poses a significant hazard
to the health and development of young people and
cuts across age and social class.
 The quest for new experiences and the rebellious
nature of the young predisposes them to drug abuse.
Introduction

5. 
 age at first use of drug has been found to be as early
as eleven years (NDLEA 1999).
 The illicit drug most commonly abused by young
people in Nigeria is cannabis (marajuana). It is
illegally cultivated in different parts of Nigeria and is
relatively cheap.
 As one study showed, almost a tenth (8.2%) of young
people between the ages of 10-19 years have used
cannabis at some time in their lives.
Introduction

6. 
 They often have family problems and a circle of
friends among whom drug use is widespread. Often
their parents are themselves dependent on
substances such as alcohol or tranquillizers.
Introduction

7. 
CANNABIS
Illegal platation sites have been found in Ekiti,
Oyo States, south western Nigeria (NDLEA)

8. 
 Outright illicit drugs
 Socially ―acceptable‖ drugs
 Over the-counter-drugs
 Prescribed medications
 unconventional substances not yet under
international control
Drugs commonly
abused

9. 
 Cannabis
 highly addictive hard drugs such as cocaine and
heroine
Illicit drugs
 Cannabis
 highly addictive hard drugs such as cocaine and
heroine

10. 

11. 
 Alcohol
 Cigarettes
 LSD (―ecstasy‖)
 tobacco
Socially ―acceptable‖
drugs/hallucinogens

12. 

13. 

14. 
LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide

15. 
MDMA (sometimes
called ecstasy)
Psychostimulant

16. 
 high incidence of non-medical or self-medicated use
of benzodiazepines and psychotropic substances
(amphetamines and barbiturates)
 Opioids and Morphine-like drugs
 result of the ineffective enforcement of laws on their
sale and distribution.
Over-the-counter drugs

17. 
 Paracetamol
 Aspirin
 Sleeping pills
 Tramadol
 antibiotics
Prescribed drugs

18. 
 volatile organic solvents, such as petrol and glue
 unconventional substances not yet under
international control e.g. pawpaw leaves, zakami,
haukatayaro
Unconventional
substances

19. 
 Alcohol and tobacco constitute a major threat to the
health of young people. They are referred to as ―gate
way drugs‖ as most young people who abuse drugs
and other dangerous substances started with alcohol
and cigarettes.
―gate way drugs‖

20. 
 predisposition to experimentation,
 rebellion and desire for independence;
 peer pressure;
 defects in personality such as low self-esteem;
 notion of ‗machismo‘ characterized by independent
risk-taking behaviour;
 engagement of older siblings in drug taking;
Why do drugs?

21. 
 frustrations caused by tension between improved
levels of education and shrinking employment
opportunities;
 parental deprivation as a result of separation,
divorce, death of a spouse or persistent discord
between spouses in the home;
 advertisement such as those associating smoking
with success, glamour, popularity, youthful vigor
and good health;
Why do drugs?

22. 
 rapid urbanizations (social change) with the
breakdown of the family‘s effective cultural and
social controls;
 exposure to high risk jobs (such as tobacco
company) and environments that encourage drug
use (such as bars)
 employment outside the home such as teenagers
who drop out-of- school to take up menial jobs in
market places and motor parks
Why do drugs?

23. 
 Estimates of the total overall costs of substance abuse
in the United States, including productivity and
health- and crime-related costs, exceed $600 billion
annually.
 This includes approximately $193 billion for illicit
drugs, $193 billion for tobacco, and $235 billion for
alcohol.
EFFECTS OF
SUBSTANCE ABUSE

24. 
 Drug taking has a close inter-relationship with crime
 because of their cost and highly addictive nature,
drugs drive their users to robbery or prostitution as
a means of maintaining their habit.
 use of drugs in tertiary educational institutions has
been linked to the upsurge of violent cult activities.
 It is believed that armed robbers, vigilante militants,
as well as cult members use drugs as a means of
stimulating boldness.
Effects of drug abuse

25. 
 Pedestrian MVA
 Social/marital violence including rape
 Psychiatric manifestations like schizophrenia
 Pregnancy complications like fetal alcohol sydrome
 HIV/AIDS, Cancers, STDs
Effects of drug abuse

26. 
Marajuana Cocaine
Lowers testosterone level seizure
Impairs sperm production Raised and irregular heart
rate
Menstrual irregularities hallucination
Memory loss Stroke
Depression Hear failure
lack of sleep Respiratory failure
anxiety Cerebral hemorrhages
Long term effects of
some drugs

27. 
 dependence, overdose accidents
 premature death
 alienated from their families, not attending school
and living away from home
 failed relationships and family disintegaration
 loss off job
Effects of drug abuse

28. 
What happens to the brain when
you take drugs?

29. 
 often mistakenly assumed that drug abusers lack
moral principles or willpower and that they could
stop using drugs simply by choosing to change their
behaviour
 The rapidly adapting ―reward pathway‖ system in
the brain
 brain changes that occur over time challenge an
addicted person‘s self control and hamper his or her
ability to resist intense impulses to take drugs.
Mechanism of addiction

30. 
 marijuana and heroin ≈ brain neurotransmitters≈
―fool‖ the brain‘s receptors → activate nerve cells to
send abnormal messages.
 cocaine or methamphetamine → abnormally large
amounts of natural neurotransmitters (mainly
dopamine) → a brain awash in dopamine in brain
regions that control movement, emotion, motivation,
and feelings of pleasure → overstimulation of this
reward system,
Mechanism of addiction

31. 
 The biological make up of individuals (including gender
and race)
 The environmental factors
 Age of commencement of drugs
Why do some addicted and
others don‘t?

32. 

33.  Prevention is key
 Public awareness about the effects of drug abuse
 Established anti-illicit drug use policies and effective law
enforcement to back up
 Strong family/social ties
 Influence of religion
 Effective regulation of health policies and prescribed
drug use
 Seek professional help
 Developed improved stress coping strategies
Escaping drug abuse

34. 
 Direct medical intervention
I. Antipsychotics
II. Alternative drug substance ―replacement‖ &
detoxifiers (e.g. disulfiram, naloxone)
III. Psychobehavioural therapies (e.g. Cognitive-
behavioural therapy, motivational interviewing and
incentives)
 Midway homes (group behaviour therapy)
Escaping drug abuse

35. 
 ―…long period of incarceration ranging from 15 to 25
years and sometimes, life imprisonment for
producers and traffickers. Additionally, any
organisation that colludes with offenders to
perpetrate a drug offence or to conceal proceeds
from the illicit drug trade is also liable on conviction
to a term of 25 years imprisonment or two million
Naira fine.‖
NDLEA
NATIONAL DRUG LAW ENORCEMENT AGENCY, 1989

36. 

37. 
THANK YOU

38. 
 Akinboye, J.O.(2000). Parenting success. A seminar
paper presented at the Department of guidance and
counseling. University of Ilorin. Pgs 7-11.
 National Drug Intelligence Center (2011). The
Economic Impact of Il-licit Drug Use on American
Society. Washington D.C.: United States De-
partment of Justice. Available at:
http://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs44/4473
1/44731p.pdf(PDF, 2.4MB)
references

39. 
 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Years of Potential
Life Lost, and Productivity Losses—United States,
2000–2004. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/
mm5745a3.htm (PDF 1.4MB).
references

40. 
 Rehm, J., Mathers, C., Popova, S.,
Thavorncharoensap, M., Teerawattananon Y., Patra,
J. Global burden of disease and injury and economic
cost attributable to alcohol use and alcohol-use
disorders. Lancet, 373(9682):2223–2233, 2009.
 National Drug and Law enforcement Agency
(www.NDLEA.ng)
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gateway_drug_theor
y
references