Drug Abuse In Bayelsa Highest In South-South Region —UNODC Survey

THE chairman of Bayelsa State Drug Abuse Prevention and Rehabilitation Committee, Mrs. Faith Zibs-Godwin, has revealed that the state recorded the highest cases of drug abuse among South-South states in a recent survey conducted by the United Nations Office on Drug and Crimes (UNODC).

Mrs Zibs-Godwin stated this when she and members of her committee visited the state Commissioner for Education,  Dr. Emelah Gentle, in his office, Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital to devise means to take its anti-drug abuse campaign to primary, secondary and tertiary institutions across the state.

According to her, the report was worrisome, adding that the essence of the visit was to intimate the education commissioner on possible ways of partnership to reverse the trend in what she called “the first ever national survey by the United Nations Office on Drug and Crimes (UNODC) on drug use among South-South States”.

Speaking further, she said: “It has become imperative to visit the education ministry to seek possible partnership to change the story. Some of the campaigns of the committee would be targeted at schools, churches and communities.

“The schools campaigns which would cover primary school to tertiary institutions, would involve programs like conducting substance abuse interventions such as training and development of policies would prevent alcohol and substance abuse.

“We would also reintroduce the formation of drug free clubs, life skill training, random drug testing among other activities.”

While reacting, the Commissioner for Education decried the rising wave of drug abuse in the state and thanked the Governor Douye Diri, for setting up the committee to mitigate against drug abuse in the state.

Dr. Emelah also commended the committee for taking the responsibility to save the situation in the state, assuring that the committee would have the full support of the Ministry of Education whenever the need arises.