The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Friday took the fight against drug abuse to secondary school students through its “Catch Them Young” initiative.

The agency also inaugurated the NAFDAC Consumer Safety Club (NCSC) to further drive the campaign against fake, substandard regulated products, and enthrone the culture of requesting for quality by students.

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At the event at Government Secondary School, Tundu Wada, Abuja, NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, explained that drug abuse could cause mental health disorders and a change in the abuser’s academic performance.

She added that drug dependence and abuse could lead to impaired driving and poor judgment; serious impairment, damage to the heart, liver and kidney, loss of memory and risk of psychosis as other consequences.

“Aside from the destruction of the family and the workforce, the gratification or satisfaction that a person may get from abuse of drugs, especially tramadol or codeine, is always short-lived.

“There is payday someday. This comes in form of the dangerous effects on the body. For instance, Tramadol use is associated with physical withdrawal symptoms and compulsive behaviour.

“Alcohol is the most widely used drug by adolescents, regardless of ethnicity, gender or race.

“Alcoholism is a chronic illness with an insidious onset which may occur at any age; and adolescent drinking behaviour has been a vital social issue in several countries,” she said.

The DG called on the students to develop alcohol-drinking refusal skills because of the consequences of alcoholism and other illicit drugs.

She said it was high time young Nigerians realised that the epidemic of drugs, including alcohol abuse, could destroy families and the workforce, destabilising the economy.

The Deputy Director of the Pharmacovigilance Directorate, Mrs Hauwa Makama, in a remark, said NAFDAC had ensured the availability of safe and effective products in the country.

This, she said, was made possible with the deployment of numerous strategies to ensure integrity in the distribution and use of products.

Makama said the key part of the efforts is the NCSC, which engages Nigerian youths in the fight against drug abuse and misuse as well as substandard and falsified products.

She said since the inception of NCSC in 2012, the initiative had significantly impacted the nation, educating young Nigerians on identifying and rejecting substandard goods.

Mr Itam Nneoyi, Deputy Director of Clubs and Societies, FCT Secondary Education Board (SEB), urged NAFDAC to follow up with the inauguration of the Catch Them Young project.

The school Principal, Mr Joseph Akoh, advised all the students to completely refrain from getting hooked on drugs.

This, he said, was important before they eventually destroy their health and future, and probably lose their lives to the menace.

BRANDPOWER reports that the initiative is expected to reach secondary schools across the six geopolitical zones of the country.