By Petear Ahemba
WOMEN Friendly Initiative, WFI, a Non-Governmental Organisation, has taken sensitisation against drug abuse and other illicit substances to some secondary school students and other stakeholders within the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, to help reduce the rate of mental illness and other related health issues.
Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of the organisation, Dr. Francis Eremutha, while speaking recently at a one-day round-shop meeting with school-based management responders on prevention of drug abuse amongst students in secondary schools, regretted that drug abuse had caused untold harvoc on the society, especially among young people.
The one-day programme organised in commemoration of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking with the themed “Addressing Challenges in Health and Humanitarian Crises” took place in Abuja.
Eremutha explained that the activity was part of a comprehensive drug abuse prevention and response program of the organisation funded by the European Union, EU, Agents for Citizens-driven Transformation, ACT, Programme.
He noted that drug abuse and problematic patterns of use among youth could lead to problems at school, cause or aggravate physical/mental health-related issues, poor peer relationship and other lifelong health and emotional challenges, among others.
On her part, Program Manager of the organisations, Mrs. Rosemary Adejoh-Adaji revealed that stakeholders, including teachers, health workers, students’ leaders and civil society organizations had earlier received drug abuse prevention and response training, stressing that WFI was currently carrying out sensitisation program in FCT schools in order to sustain the initiative and achieve a drug free society.
She commended school authorities and other partners for their efforts aimed at tackling drug scourge in the country and called for its sustenance.
