*Advocates for drug demand reduction against death sentence
A nongovernmental organization, Bensther Development Foundation has called for the removal of narcotics from the Exclusive Legislative List
This is just as the group has advocated for campaigns to ensure drug demand reduction rather than a death sentence against drug dealers.
Executive Director of the foundation, Nonso Maduka made the call during a media parley on Nigeria Drug Law: Way Forward , Death Penalty or Balance Human Rights Based Public Health Approach held in Enugu.
The Parley was organized by Bensther Foundation in collaboration with the National Human Rights Commission and Youthrise Nigeria.
Maduka stressed that there was need to remove the issue of substance use and Narcotics from the Exclusive Legislative list to enable states adopt approaches they believe will be effective in the fight against drug abuse and other drug issues.
He insisted that states under the current Exclusive Legislative list cannot do anything except they go to Abuja, advocating that the issue of substance use should run concurrently like other health issues.
“There’s need to remove narcotics from the Exclusive Legislative List and allow it to be on the Concurrent List just like other health issues. This will make the states play major role in reducing the scourge of drug abuse rather than running to Abuja on issues of narcotics.
“Drug abuse happens mostly in the hinterlands. It doesn’t just happen in Abuja”, he said.
Maduka urged the federal government, especially security agencies to have another look at the criminalisation approach of fighting against drug abuse, saying such an approach only stops intelligence communication on drugs.
He further suggested that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) should focus on drug supply reduction, explaining that drug demand reduction required strong staff strength which he said the agency lacks at the moment
“Our major target should be a campaign for drug demand reduction. I think NDLEA should concentrate on the drug supply intervention, while other stakeholders or a totally new body focuses on drugs demand reduction. They will be in charge of rehabilitating abusers or addicts.
“There are reasons people abuse drugs. One of them is socioeconomic factor. Some people who are not able to meet their social and financial responsibilities, resort to drugs to forget their sorrow. We also have the abuse that comes from life stress. And such people’s coping mechanism becomes drugs
“There are also people who have health issues and after taking some kind of drugs, they would go back later to indulge in it without knowing the consequences.
“Criminalisation approach of fighting against drug abuse only stops intelligence communication on drugs.
“This is why no thought is given on the establishment of treatment centres ir training of health professionals who take care of the victims of drug abuse.
“The result is that you have people that are suffering from drug use disorder, we keep blaming them for something they had no control over, not knowing that they had a medical condition without a place for them to get treatment”
He advised the NDLEA to focus on drug supply reduction to enable it get to the drug barons, maintaining that drug demand reduction is more of a public health intervention and not a criminal justice intervention.
