Youths Abusing Codeine Risk Infertility – NDLEA

Musa Aliyu, superintendent of Narcotics at the NDLEA Lagos State Command, disclosed this during a drug walk campaign organised by the Adorable Foundation International (AFI) in Lagos.

Aliyu called on parents to be very observant of their children, emphasizing the high risk of infertility especially in young girls resulting from codeine abuse.

“If you go to their rooms, observe what is within. You may see a lighter or matchbox, pieces of papers, bottles. If the child is not sick, the parent should ask what cough syrup is doing in the room.”

“The cough syrup is now taking a new dimension. Young girls who are future mothers mostly abuse it. If we allow them continue taking codeine, they may be unable to reproduce. The more they take, the more it damages the womb and that would be the end. Also look out for corks (especially from bottles) it is very important in burning cocaine. They usually light a candle under the cork; then they would hold the cork with a scissors for it to start burning. Initially they use teaspoon but now corks are in fashion. If you see syringes in their rooms, you should ask why, especially if the person is not a doctor.”

“If you check under their mattresses and see some particles of what they smoked, you know what to do. There are also posters of people that do or did drugs that they usually buy from the market, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s posters, Bob Marley’s and their caps with their logo on it. Even wristbands coloured green, yellow and what have you. If you notice that your child is beginning to wear such things, he or she could be going the wrong way. Sometimes you see them having multiple pockets, they could have about six pockets when they are not selling anything in the market.”

“There is nobody that would smoke marijuana for eight years non-stop without running mad no matter how big his brain is, either he is by the roadside or he is talking himself,” he added.