A group, Youth Initiative for Drug Research, Information, Support and Education in Nigeria (YouthRise Nigeria) has urged the federal government to as a matter of urgency review the current drug policy in the country.
It also called on the government to provide drug treatment in all the primary health care centres across the country which would be easily accessible for all drug users.
According to the group, the goals shall be to make available at all times to the Nigerian populace adequate supplies of drugs that are effective, affordable, safe and of good quality; to ensure the rational use of such drugs; and to stimulate increased local production of essential drugs.
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Speaking at an event held in Abuja, Communications Officer, YouthRise Nigeria, Martha Stanley said the issue is that most of the drug users at the community level do not have access to treatment, and they do not have access to evidence based information on drug use and most of them find themselves robed and webbed in the use of drugs.
Stanley said: “We are imploring the government to revise the current drug policy to fit in the peculiarities of people who use drugs.
“Arresting them is not enough, stigmatising them is not enough and discriminating them is not enough instead it keeps them hooked and it keeps them in the continuous use of the drugs.
“We need to expand our health intervention to also provide for people who use drugs because they are human beings.
“We are also imploring the government that they should provide drug treatment in primary health care centres because that is one of the focus of universal health coverage which is providing primary health care affordable easily accessed for all and we know that those who used drugs are part of the vulnerable population.”