There is an exponential rise in the number mental health cases in the country and one of the root causes is the use of drugs by the youths. But many have resorted to cheaper alternatives to expensive hard drugs.
Unable to afford the regular, expensive hard drugs, the yourhs in the country are opting for nauseating alternatives that include tea bags, especially, Lipton soaked in gin, and Mentholated spirit mixed with soft drinks.
Others, Everyday.ng learnt, include popular Tom Tom sweets and other minted sweets soaked in carbonated sodas, sniffing soak-aways and a type of tyre gums, dried camel dung, camel urine, lizard dung, and 10-day old human urine.
Some other youths prefer popular painkiller, tramadol; cough syrup, among others. Indian hemp (Cannabis Sativa), it was learnt, sells on almost every street of urban areas, plunging youths in homes of the high, mighty, and lowly into a scourge that is eating up society.
Bosun Emmanuel, a clergyman once did a magazine in which he pointed out how deep the societal malaise had gone, calling on religious organisations to nip it before it swallowed up the youths in the country.
Meanwhile, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) raised its own alarm over new drug alternatives being abused by youths in Borno State.
According to the agency, the youths in the state, like many elsewhere, have resorted to weird and unusual substances get high.
The NDLEA Commander in Borno State, Mr Iliyasu Mani, in a statement in Maiduguri, said they also inhale toilet fumes and gutter dirts in their quest to get intoxicated.
According to him, the issue of substance abuse is even getting challenging, especially with the involvement of young teens in the abuse of new psychoactive substances, especially women.
The statement said: “Let me state categorically here that these new psychoactive substances that are commonly abused today include Cannabis Sativa, skunk, Cough syrup with codeine; Ice, Tramadol, Rohypnol, Diazepam, Pentazocine, rubber solution, glue, gutter dirt, toilet fumes, lizard dung.
“Others include Lipton soaked in gin, camel urine, Mentholated spirit in soft drinks; 10-day-old human Urine, and so on.
“NDLEA under my watch have fought a hard battle against drug abuse but unfortunately, the issue of substance abuse is even getting challenging, especially with the involvement of young teens in the abuse of new psychoactive substances, especially women.
“Despite all these, we must not lose our hope as the agency has strengthened its efforts towards prevention strategy through the establishment of remodeled counselling/rehab centre within the premises of Borno State Command.”
The command, he added, had established drop-in centres across all tertiary institutions to serve as drug abuse research centres for the benefit of all.
Mani also disclosed that the command, under his watch, had seized 4.5 tonnes of illicit substances and arrested 863 suspects.
