The significance of mental alertness and the need to prioritise it has been emphasised as the hallmark of individual and societal development.
This was as experts from all strata of life gathered at a sensitisation programme organised by a community based organisation, The Legends 4 Community Initiative gathered to rob minds with security agencies and other law enforcement agents to forestall the abuse of drugs and its other narcotics elements which has remain bane to societal and individual development.
The experts unanimously decried the high rate of hard drug and drugs abuse in the society, especially among youths.
The experts who at the programme addressed students from both public and private schools in Ejigbo encouraged them to desist in totality from taking hard drugs or abuse use of drugs.
Leading the discussion in addressing the young minds against drug abuse and hard drugs use, National Drug Laws and Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Lagos state command, Mrs Mulilkat Aduni Dick, took the students through the dangerous effect of hard drug and its abuse.
Mrs Dick said effect of hard drug in the society transcends the user alone as the entire community suffers its consequence. She therefore urged the students not to get involved in any form of drug abuse and hard drug.
She said: “drug abuse is not an option for you.”
Stating that the effects it will have on individuals who take hard drugs and abuse drugs will be hazardous.
She said: “social effects of hard drug and abuse are that it lead to family disunity, truancy, cultism in schools, prostitution and destitution/ homelessness.”
Stating further, she said drug use and abuse will lead to damaged teeth, chopped off skins, damaged lungs and skins.
In remedying the situation, she said; “the best option for you is to avoid drug abuse; encourage friends who have drug problems to seek help; report drug peddlers to appropriate authority and assist law enforcement agencies to curb drug peddling and abuse.”
In her address at the world mental health day event, Mrs Funmilayo Akinola, a psychiatrist consultant with the federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, disclosed that a mentally stable person is one who can contribute to societal development.
The psychiatrist consultant said the high rate of mentally derailed persons in the society are as a result of hard drug and drug abuse.
She decried the trend in the society urging the youths to shun hard drugs.
The Ejigbo Police station Divisional Police Officer, CSP Mariam Shonubi in her presentation decried the raising case of cultism and other related activities in different communities in Lagos state.
Shonubi related the cause of such disgruntled endeavours to effect of hard drug and drug abuse.
The police officer urged youths to desist from all criminal activities that will be detrimental to individual and societal development, warning that anyone caught in a despicable act will face the fill wrath of the law.
Speaking on the reason for holding the annual event, president of the Legends 4 community initiative, Comrade Sulaimon Ijaoba said, the organisation took it as part of its contribution to having a society devoid of use of hard drug and drug abuse.
He said the programme is one of the ways, his organisation is canvassing against drug abuse and hard drug being taken by youths.
Ijaoba said the organisation will continue to partner all stakeholders in the fight against hard drug and drug abuse in the society.
