By Patience Ivie Ihejirika
As Nigeria joined the rest of the world to mark World Health Day, the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (AHAPN) has called for renewed efforts to tackle drug abuse among young people, urging students to resist peer pressure and make wise choices.
Speaking during a school programme as part of the association鈥檚 activities to commemorate the 2025 World Drug Day, former Head of Pharmacy at Karu General Hospital, Pharm. Ruth Feyisayo Ajayi advised parents to watch out for signs of unusual behaviour in their children and encouraged schools to revive or establish anti-drug clubs.
She emphasised the need for early prevention, calling peer pressure one of the most significant risks for students.
She told the students, 鈥淎nytime you feel uncomfortable about something you鈥檙e being asked to try, confide in your parents. Don鈥檛 let peer pressure mislead you.鈥
Also, Pharm Hafsat Abdullahi, chairman of the AHAPN Abuja chapter, highlighted the theme 鈥淏reaking the Chains: Prevention, Treatment and Recovery for All,鈥 stressing the need for holistic interventions.
鈥淭his awareness campaign is part of prevention. But we also need to support friends and family members who are already struggling with drug use. The fight against drug abuse is one we must all commit to,鈥 she said.
She also recounted AHAPN鈥檚 previous outreach efforts, including visits to IDP camps, motor parks, and markets, where they found that many people were unknowingly abusing drugs, primarily through unregulated herbal mixtures known as 鈥渁gbo鈥.
鈥淢any didn鈥檛 know that the 鈥榓gbo鈥 they were taking was mixed with addictive substances. We taught them always to ask what goes into any mixture they consume,鈥 she added.
The Desk Officer Health at the FCT Secondary Education Board, Hajiya Hadiza Mohammed, stressed that drug abuse is a serious societal problem and applauded initiatives like this for raising awareness.
鈥淏ack in our days, we rarely had access to drug abuse education. Today鈥檚 students are more fortunate; we must continue this awareness because drug abuse has become a darkness affecting our society,鈥 she said.
She warned that the influence of drugs on academics and student behaviour is profound. 鈥淪tudents are misled into thinking drugs make them smarter, but instead, it deteriorates their cognitive ability and drags them backwards.鈥
Mohammed also pointed to factors driving youth into drug use, including poverty, trauma, and peer pressure, urging students to seek healthy coping mechanisms and focus on building a better future.
Chairman of the event鈥檚 Local Organising Committee, Pharm. Hassan Ishaq emphasised that the government alone cannot combat drug abuse and called for collective action from families, schools, and civil society.
鈥淲e need more investment in advocacy and public education. Everyone, parents, teachers, neighbours, must know the signs and intervene early,鈥 he said.
A student of the school, Debora, called for action, pledging to be a youth ambassador against drug abuse. 鈥淲e must not even think about indulging in drug use, and those already in it should cut off negative influences and seek guidance from elders,鈥 she said.