Approximately 14.3 million Nigerians are drug users, with at least three million people suffering from a drug use disorder, according to a recent report by the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC).
The report, World Drug Report 2021, launched in June 2021, noted that cannabis potency has significantly increased in some parts of the world by as much as four times or 25 percent in the last 24 years.
This is despite numerous evidence associating the use of cannabis to numerous harmful health conditions.
The report attributed the significant growth in drug use partly to the frequent use of the dark web for drug purchases mostly being carried out by young people, accounting for $315 million in annual sales.
‘Lower perception of drug use risks has been linked to higher rates of drug use, and the findings of UNODC’s 2021 World Drug Report highlight the need to close the gap between perception and reality to educate young people and safeguard public health’, said UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly.
According to the report, the rapid technological innovation, combined with the agility and adaptability of those using new platforms to sell drugs and other substances, is likely to usher in a globalised market where all drugs are more available and accessible everywhere.
Furthermore, it is understood that Covid-19 has triggered innovation and adaptation in drug prevention and treatment services through more flexible models of service delivery.
Many countries have introduced or expanded telemedicine services due to the pandemic, which for drug users means that health care workers can now offer counselling or initial assessments over the telephone and use electronic systems to prescribe controlled substances.
In Nigeria, 130 health care professionals trained by UNODC under the EU-Nigeria ‘Response to Drugs and Related Organised Crime’ project formed DrugHelpNet, providing over-the-phone counselling and assistance to more than 1,800 drug users during the height of the Covid-19-indueced lockdown.
Source: UNODC
Photo source: Dotun55
