Adorable Foundation Carries out Anti-Drug Campaign in Lagos

 Cannabis

Peter Uzoho

Adorable Foundation International recently carried out an anti-drug sensitisation and awareness creation campaign in Lagos to mark this year’s World International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking.

Flagging off the event on Sunday in Lagos, Founder and President, Adorable Foundation International, Princess Ada Okeke, said the event was meant to support the United Nations and the Nigerian Government in fighting the issue of drug abuse through creating awareness on the dangers of the scourge.

She observed that the country is currently experiencing cases of mental and psychological depression and related ills resulting from drug use, noting that the Foundation had to contribute in fighting the scourge.

“Right now in our country, we’re experiencing cases of mental and psychological depression and so many other things resulting from drug use. So we believe that we have to contribute to fighting it by supporting the United Nations in creating awareness and enlightening the people about the harmful effect of drug abuse.

“So today, we’re flagging it off here in Lagos. We’ll go on a road walk to sensitise Lagosians.We intend to carry this campaign nationwide; Abuja is on as we’re doing it here in Lagos, Awka is also doing it.Adorable Women will go all round in creating this awareness”, she added.

Speaking, the Superintendent of Narcotic, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Lagos, Mallum Musa, said the theme for this year’s Drug Day “Listen First” was carefully selected to inform parents that drug has taken a new dimension, saying that parents should therefore listen to their children’s conversations. He said that users and sellers of hard drugs have adopted names not familiar to parents in order to confuse them.

“Initially, when they mention drugs, people would be saying cocaine, heroin, marijuana and so many of them. But now, the people that are using it and the merchant of death that are in the business have adopted a system whereby they changed the names. A common man can no longer understand what they are talking. That’s why they said you should listen first”, Musa said.

“They may mention abbreviation like MJ and you think it’s a personality or something important, not knowing that they’re talking about marijuana.You may hear them say ‘monkey tail’ which is a mixture of cannabis sativa. So this is why the United Nations said this year we have to focus on those names children are now adopting in order to deceive their parents,” he said.