LUCIFER AND THE BURDEN OF DRUG ABUSE
LUCIFER AND THE BURDEN OF DRUG
ABUSE
The time was a quarter past seven on a Monday morning. Many
people were hurrying to their places of work. Men and women, young and old were
in a frenzy typical of the first working day of the week. As I passed the
filling station at the junction, Fela’s old song blared from the speakers. “L’ojo
Monday.Eko oni gbagba kugba o.” (Lagos does not tolerate nonsense on a Monday.)
The radio presenter, I mused, has surely picked the right
music for the moment.
Across the express way I spotted Andrew. His friends called
him Lucifer. He was trying to cross the ever busy road. His eyes were blood
shot. More like embers of coal peeping through his half closed eyelids. He was
stoned.
Twice he attempted the road crossing adventure. The third time
he staggered onto the road and passersby screamed. The speeding bus tried to
apply the brakes. It was too late. The impact threw “Lucifer” on to the kerb
and he hit his head on the stone paving. The rest of the story is too gory for
this medium.
Andrew the Lucifer has gone, to hell I guess.
Drug abuse is emerging as a global public health issue. The
recent world drug report-2019 of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
(UNODC) estimated that 271 million (5.5%) of the global population (aged
between 15 and 64 years), had used drugs in the previous year. Also, it has
been projected that 35 million individuals will be experiencing drug use
disorders.
The burden of drug abuse (usage, abuse, and trafficking) has
also been related to the four areas of international concern, viz. organized
crime, illicit financial flows, corruption, and terrorism/insurgency.
The burden of drug abuse is becoming a public health concern
in Nigeria.
Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, has developed
a reputation as a center for drug trafficking and usage mostly among the youth
population. Drug abuse has been a cause of many criminal offences such as
theft, burglary, sex work, and shoplifting
Commonly abused drugs include cannabis, cocaine,
amphetamine, heroin, diazepam, codeine, cough syrup and tramadol. Sources where
abusers obtained drugs, were pharmacies/patent medicine shops, open drug
markets, drug hawkers, fellow drug abusers, friends, and drug pushers. Drug
abuse is common among undergraduates and secondary school students, youths,
commercial bus drivers, farmers, and sex workers. Reason for use include to
increase physical performance, stress and to derive pleasure. Poor
socioeconomic factors and low educational background are common risk factors
associated with drug abuse. Several drug laws and policies were established
under government agencies such as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency
(NDLEA), National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration and Control
(NAFDAC), Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) and a Presidential Advisory
Committee.
The burden of drug abuse is still high despite the existing
drug laws, policies, and strategies for prevention. Measures to reduce the
burden should involve the community, government, and religious bodies.
Preventive measures should target the youths, the students and identified sources
of the drugs
Drug abuse tends to affect the individuals from the
middle-aged and later years of life substantially. The aftermaths of use not
only results in adverse health consequences, but also affect the quality of
life, family interdynamics, and burdening of the health system.
MARIJUANA.
This mild hallucinogen, derived from the Cannabis sativa
plant, is the most commonly abused illegal drug in Nigeria. When used, usually through smoking, marijuana
acts as a central nervous system stimulant. It speeds upheart rate and raises
blood pressure. It can stimulate the nervous system enough that some people
become paranoid while taking it. At the same time, marijuana can dull memory,
making it harder to concentrate or remember things. Death from smoking too much
marijuana is rare, but as with smoking cigarettes,habitual marijuana use can lead to heart disease and
other cardiovascular problems.
Just like tobacco smokers, marijuana smokers are at risk for
respiratory problems such as chronic cough and frequent lung infections.
Marijuana smoke also contains many carcinogens, though a definitive link
between it and cancer remains unclear at this time.
A powerful,
addictive stimulant, cocaine gives users a euphoric feeling when ingested,
which, depending on the person, may or may not actually feel good. Some people
experience that rush as very pleasurable, but others don‘t like it. The
euphoric feeling is short-lived, lasting anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes.
Cocaine is usually snorted as a powder, but it can also be modified into rock form
so-called crack and smoked. Cocaine tightens blood vessels and speeds up the
heart. These cardiovascular effects are the main reason for most cocaine-related
deaths. Even in small doses, it can kill, sudden death is not uncommon.
OPIATES.
These drugs, which include both street drugs like heroin and
pharmaceutical painkillers like morphine act on the body‘s central nervous
system by stimulating the brain‘s reward center, which controls pleasurable
feelings. Opiates mimic the effects of healthy feel-good activities, like
having sex or eating. However, in high doses, opiates can cause some of the
brain‘s critical functions, like breathing, to slow down or stop working. In an
overdose the brain shuts off the thermostat that drives respiration
.The person goes into a coma and dies. Since heroin is commonly injected, users
are also at risk for HIV and hepatitis, which can be transmitted through shared
needles.
METHAMPHETAMINE.
Usually a white powder that is smoked, snorted, or injected,
this powerful stimulant is highly addictive. Like cocaine, methamphetamine can
speed up the heart, as well as cause hyperthermia, an extremely high body
temperature. When used over a long period of time, methamphetamine can cause
anxiety, insomnia, and even psychotic symptoms, like hallucinations. Severe
dental problems can also occur; the drug is acidic and can wear down teeth over
time. Users often grind their teeth as well, further damaging them. As with
heroin users, people who inject methamphetamine are at risk for HIV and
hepatitis.
Moderate consumption of alcohol is safe for most people, but
too much consumption can lead to problems. Many do consume more than their
capacity, and this brings out the abnormality in such person. It doubles the
consumer‘s mind. Those who are unable to confront certain challenges do engage
in high consumption of alcohol. It is a liquid content that gradually affect
the operation of the brain. Alcohol also has short term health effects. Since
alcohol is a depressant, it can slow motor skills and impair the user's ability
to make clear judgments
Young people especially get involved in drugs for different
reasons, some of which include the following.
WANTING TO BELONG:
Making friends and establishing oneself at school can be difficult
for adolescents. The teenage years often come with many insecurities, low
self-esteem, and fear of not being accepted. In order to fit in, to feel cool
or join an older, more seductive social circle, many teens will start buying
and using drugs.
CHASING THE HIGH
SPIRITS:
Many youngsters (and some adults) abuse drugs especially
alcohol to get high. They are looking for a thrill, an intensified feeling that
they cannot obtain through simple pleasures like food or exercise. This is
where the addiction cycle starts to kick in. Drugs interact with the way our
brain produces, and the way our body experiences, pleasure. When drugs are
used, the brain creates up to ten times the normal amount of dopamine and
euphoria a person should experience. It is unnatural chemistry that takes place,
but our brain remembers it. It craves it.
HOPING TO FEELBETTER:
There is the desire to feel good and there is the need to
feel better. These are two very distinct entities when evaluating teen drug
use. Teens looking to feel better are in truth, self-medicating. They are
battling something deeper than peer pressure or a failed homework assignment.
Some adolescents are suffering from deep-seated conditions like depression,
social anxiety, and stress-related disorders. They use drugs to forget or
replace their negative feelings with substance-induced pleasure.
TRIAL AND ERROR:
The brain does not finish developing until the age of 25.
The last part of the brain to develop is the one that controls rational
decision making, self-control, and judgment, making adolescents more prone to
trying risky and daring activities. Drugs and alcohol are often easy,
accessible outlets for experimentation that can severely impact the developing
teenage brain.
COMPETITION:
The need to perform, to impress, and to make proud is a
great pressure for adolescents and young adults. Whether in school or on the
field, young people consistently want to prove they are the best to their peers
and parents. The competition to be outstanding, however, can be intense. In academics,
for example, teens and young adults often rely on the misuse of prescription
stimulants as smart drugs or study aids to improve academic performance
or keep awake.
Teens often experience a lack of purpose or talent. They
feel like they are not good enough to shine or are lacking something to make
them special. These feelings may drive them toward substance abuse. Some youth
do not know how to become the best, so they choose to become the worst in hopes
of getting their parents‘ and teachers ‘undivided attention.
ILLTERACY AND
DISINFORMATION:
Some adolescents and young adults grow up thinking drug and
alcohol use is normal. Their favorite musicians are singing about it, the movies
are glamorizing it, the TV ads are selling it. Whether you are sad, can‘t sleep,
or have a headache, there is a drug for you. Our culture has adopted the pill
cures all mentality, leading our youth to feel the same about drugs. Many do not
understand the consequences of drug use. Many teens do not know how it can harm
their minds, bodies, and relationships. They need proper education. They need
someone to tell them the truth about drugs and alcohol.
EARLY EXPOSURE AND ADDICTION:
Some teens and young adults are stuck amongst the cycle. At
such a young age, they are more vulnerable to developing dependence and
addiction. They get in over their heads at an early age and do not know how to
get out. I have seen barely legal teens at garages, street corners and alleyways
who have been so enmeshed in drug use that they don’t know there is a better
life any other way anywhere.
Making laws (that are not enforced) is inefficient in the
present situation. Law enforcement and security agents are also found among the
abusers. Government must make conscious efforts to block the sources. Alcohol
and hard drugs are sold in the open at garages, junctions and street corners.
Social and Media censorship is of great importance. What
young people see on Television, Videos and Social Media content shape what they
become.
The Society is also guilty. The drug lords and criminals,
the drug addicts and harbingers of various vices are praised by society once
they have money to throw around. The kids tend to model their lives after these
cult heroes.
Parents must monitor their children and watch out for any
changes in character or behavioral pattern.
I met Lucifer’s mother months after looking forlorn and dejected.
(Someone identified her)
I am sure what I felt wasn’t pity.
She wasn’t the only one guilty for the making of Lucifer,
all of us are.
Something must be done before the monster takes over the
society, and all hands must be on deck.
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