The Director General of the Kaduna State Bureau for Substance Abuse, Prevention and Treatment (KADBUSA), Dr. Joseph Maigari, has warned residents of the state to desist from drug abuse.
Dr. Maigari explained that abusing drugs killed and destroyed lives, saying a recent survey showed that most residents, especially youths, in the state abused drugs.
He said a survey conducted in 2020 across the 23 local government areas of the state revealed that 11 out of 100 residents were involved in substance abuse.
Dr. Maigari said the bureau was working with NGOs and government ministries and parastatals to reduce drug abuse in the state.
He said, “A survey conducted recently shows that 10.9 per cent of Kaduna residents have drug abuse problems.
“We are the only state that conducts survey across the state to find out the real problem of drug abuse.
“The fight against drug abuse in Nigeria is always to arrest suppliers and bring them to justice. As we all see, we can’t win the drug abuse battle with guns only.
“We have to win the minds and hearts of our people to eschew the use of drugs and substances. This is why the Kaduna State Government is the first state in Nigeria and the state with the best drug law in the whole of Nigeria.”
He further said the state was constructing four rehabilitation facilities in Ikara, Chikun, Igabi and Kachia LGAs.
He addede that a new plan by the state government under the state mental health plan had been approved by the human capital development council and that the plan would address mental health issues in the state.
