Mandate Health Empowerment Initiative (MHEI) an NGO, has urged National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to intensify campaign against drug abuse in the country.
Its President, Mr Ameh Zion, made the call in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Saturday.
He said many Nigerians were ignorant of the effect of hard drugs to their health and that trafficking, distributing or consuming illicit drugs constitute an offence.
Zion added that though NDLEA had been championing campaigns against drug and substance abuse, it needed to do more.
He said: “I want to challenge NDLEA to step up campaigns to enable citizens to make informed decisions when it comes to issues relating to drugs.
“How many Nigerians know the consequences of peddling drugs or substances?.
“People should be educated about punishments that await them if caught selling or buying drugs and substances like cocaine, marijuana, among others.”
The NGO boss explained that though there were laws guiding the use and sale of hard drugs and substances in the country, the degree of punishment for offences related to this varied.
Zion said educating citizens about those laws and the health effects of using drugs would help to address the increasing number of Nigerians smuggling or abusing drugs in the country.
He added that enlightenment would also help to address cases of citizens being arrested or killed abroad due to drug peddling.
