FG creates two committees on drug abuse

The federal government has constituted two committees ‎to address the menace of Drug Abuse in the country.

The committee is expected to review drug laws with focus on Drug barons and decriminalisation of drug users while coming up with a framework to dismantle open drug markets in the country.

The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole who made this known during the Daily Trust maiden seminar on tackling Drug Abuse‎ in the North revealed that one of the committee is the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Elimination of Drug Abuse ( PACEDA) and a Ministerial Committee to comprehensively tackle the menace of Drug Abuse.

The seminar which held in Kano State , at the Meena Event Centre was organised by Daily Trust and the Kano State Government and themed,” Tackling the Challenges of Drug Abuse in the North”.

The minister of ‎health who was ably represented by the Director Food and Drug Services, Pharm Moshood Oloku Lawal added that the presidency has already commenced preparatory work for the inauguration of the committee.

He ‎added that one of the measures being contemplated to curb the menace of drug abuse is the restriction of the production and sale of codeine an codeine containing medications to licenced pharmacies in private and public health institutions for effective monitoring and control.

His words,” despite the array of laws and policies on Drug trafficking, production, cultivation and use, the menace of drug abuse is on the increase globally and in Nigeria in particular.

“This is not only a threat to security, governance and development of a nation but also to the health of its citizenry”.