Substance abuse is on the rise in Nigeria, especially among youths who have devised dubious ways of advancing the devolution of clinical drugs into narcotics. What makes substance abuse more alarming than ever is the dynamism that has been created around it by young people. For instance, they can easily, from the comfort of their homes, create intoxicating recipes from almost nothing.
Stuff like lizard excreta, premium motor spirit, methylated spirit, Evo-stik gum, papaya leaves, codeine and tramadol are being abused, even in the face of the dire consequences that result from such.
Before now, drugs like tramadol were purely prescription drugs. Unfortunately, they have been turned to narcotics largely because of their capacity to alter the human mood through sedation. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has since listed tramadol as one of the prohibited substances in Nigeria. This prohibition has led to the arrest of many traffickers of the drug.
One of the major concerns raised by substance abuse all over world is the fact that it interferes with sexual and reproductive health in many ways. It can lead to the destruction of sex cells, like the male sperm and the female ovum. It can also hamper the quality of sex hormones, thereby leading to the inability of both males and females to produce fertile sperms and ova, respectively.
In men, the use of cocaine and marijuana can lead to reduction in the number and quality of sperm, just as over-consumption of alcohol can lead to low testosterone, which in turn leads to low sex drive and erection problems.
Generally speaking, the abuse of drugs or alcohol can lead to carelessness and lack of attention to one’s overall wellbeing and as such, one could become vulnerable to infections such as STIs (sexually transmitted infections) which may, in turn, damage the reproductive organs.
For women who abuse drugs, poor personal hygiene can easily expose them to the aforementioned infections and because they are not in absolute control of their senses and emotions, they can become victims of sexual abuse and exploitation, either by ordinary individuals or by their fellow drug users. In such drug users, the drugs reduce the power of inhibitions, thereby making them easily prone to sexual manipulation.
In Nigeria, the incidences of mentally challenged women getting pregnant and giving birth by the roadside should have a connection with the foregoing reality.
Moreover, there are ample examples of teenage girls, young women and even older women who have been put to the family way as a result of illicit drug use. Most of these people end up jeopardising their educational, marital and career aspirations.
It is also important to note that substance abuse is also a gateway to many crimes and irresponsible behaviours, including armed robbery, kidnapping, human trafficking, organ harvesting and prostitution.
