Let
me help you. Drugs are divided into OTC ( on the counter drugs), controlled
substances (which due to their psychotic nature, are sold only upon
prescription of a doctor), and expressly prohibited substances, which include
our cocaine, heroin and LSD.
Unlike
what you think, cough syrups remain on the counter drugs. Do you know why? The
national drugs formulary lists, so designates it. And it's actually a law. And
I do not recall it being repelled nor amended. The act of NAFDAC borders on
lawlessness. Unless Emzor is being cowed by other means, they should be in
court by now and making NAFDAC sweat out hefty fines.
We
have a lynch mob mentality; we don't ever face the problems. The problem is the
addicts; you must identify them, and rehabilitate them. That cuts off the
demand. Why do young people take to drugs? No education, no opportunities, no
hope; so they turn to dope. The demand is going to get stronger, small labs are
going to spring up manufacturing codeine in a stronger and more potent form.
They will be both beyond control and supervision. They will continue to feed
the growing demand.
On
Facebook yesterday, I watched 3 kids, oldest maybe about 3, sucking off that
notorious shisha pipes and exhaling
with the dexterity of seasoned smokers. Shisha
is more dangerous than cigarettes. What is smoked can be anything including
opium and its derivatives. The number of substances being abused in Nigeria
includes fumes from pit latrines!!! Are we going to ban people from shitting???
Unless we decide to tackle this malaise from the roots of the growing demand for
drugs, we just dey perambulate and we
still dey.... same same place... in the eternal words of Fela Anikulapo
Kuti of blessed memory.
- Moses Ideho, a Barrister-at-law, is social
critic.
Kindly drop your comments.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Disclaimer: Comments from our readers do not represent the editorial policy of The Bulletin Press.