The presidential candidate of Labour Party during the 2023 presidential election, Peter Obi has decried a report by the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime in Nigeria, indicating that fourteen point four percent of citizens aged between 15 and 64 abuse drugs, which he said is significantly higher than the global average of five point six.
Obi also blamed leadership failure in the country, high rate of poverty and frustration, peer-group pressure among the youths and high rate of unemployment, amongst others, as factors fuelling drugs and substance abuse among the youths.
The former Anambra State governor in a statement, noted that the attendant health conditions from drug abuse are unimaginable, including an epidemic of mental health cases and incidents of suicidal behaviour among youth.
His statement is coming on the heels of the World International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
While praising the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for their tireless efforts in combating the drug abuse menace in the country, the Labour Party presidential candidate, in a statement via his verified Twitter handle on Monday, said more needs to be done by the government in rescuing the youths from a further slide into drug addiction.
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