By Abbas Bamalli
A group, Anti-Drugs Campaign Network, has suggested drug test for all patients attending health facilities in Katsina state.
The group made the suggestion on Thursday while presenting a book titled “A Source Book for Community-Led Drug Control in Katsina State”.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the group presents the book to support the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) fight against drug abuse in the state.
Alhaji Muttaka Rabe-Darma, a member of the group and an elder statesman, observed that drug abusers were many among patients.
“Therefore, any patient attending any health facility to see a doctor should be subjected to drug test, especially pregnant women.
“Anyone found abusing drugs should be treated and counseled; that alone can contribute towards reducing drug abuse in the state.
“Arrest and punishment alone cannot solve the problem, but the users should also be treated in the hospitals, because they are also sick.
“Those supplying the drugs are the criminals, because without supply, the demand will definitely drop,” he said.
Rabe-Darma said that the book highlighted all the measures to be adopted in the state, especially community approach in controlling drug abuse.
In his remarks, the state Commander of NDLEA, Mr Hassan Sani-Abubakar, commended the group for its initiative aimed at reducing drug demand in the state.
Sani-Abubakar expressed the command’s readiness to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to tackle the menace.
According to him the command has been treating, rehabilitating, counseling and training the drug users on different skills acquisition programmes.
Speaking to NAN, Chairperson of the Anti-drugs Campaign Network, Hajiya Khadija Saulawa, said the initiative was developed due to the rate of drug abuse in the state.
She said that the group would not relent in its efforts towards fighting the menace.
NAN
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