The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has stressed the need for robust collaboration with other security agencies in terms of intelligence sharing, joint training as well as joint operations to achieve a drug free Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Mr Kabir Tsakuwa, Commander of Narcotics (CN), NDLEA, FCT Command, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.
Tsakuwa said that the root causes of drug prevalence among youths were multifaceted adding that some associated the prevalence to peer pressure, unemployment, frustration, poverty among others.
He however, said that others felt drug prevalence among youths was due to lack of family care among others .
He attribued that the major cause to drop in moral values and sign of societal failures.
”Some parents hardly took care of their children. They don’t even know the kinds of friends their children keep.
”The culture particularly in the cities due to urbanisation is degrading day by day due to western and social media influence which often mislead the younger generation.
“To remedy the foregoing, the command has been consistently engaged in public enlightenment and Sensitisation.
“This has been one of the most important aspects of NDLEA strategies. My message to family and other stakeholders is that, it is better not to start drug at all and by making the public to be aware of the dangers of drug abuse.
“It helps in ensuring that individuals are well informed of the consequences of drug abuse. Like the saying goes, “prevention is better than cure”, he said.
Tsakuwa said that the command leveraged on “War Against Drug Abuse” (WADA) platform where the agency embark on sensitisations in schools and public places.
He said that NDLEA officers were also making a lot of efforts in the area of public enlightenment with a view to support the supply reduction effort.
He added that public education was vital in drug abuse prevention.
”We are collaborating with the communities through their chiefs or the traditional institutions.
“More importantly, by educating the public, we equip individuals with knowledge and skills necessary to understand the risks and consequences of drug abuse.
“The awareness helps in promoting healthier behaviours and assists in making informed decisions regarding substance abuse.
“We enjoin the stakeholders to continue to support these initiatives to create a drug free environment for the youths, “he said.
