Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has cautioned students to avoid alcohol and hard drugs, warning that substance abuse can ruin their future.
Prof. Christiana Adeyeye, Director General of the National Agency for Food, Administration and Control (NAFDAC) gave the warning, Thursday, during the inauguration of NAFDAC Consumer Safety Club (NCSC) in Community Secondary School, Ifite-Umueri, in Anambra East Local Government Area, Anambra State.
The Director General who was represented by Mr Louis Madubuatta, a Deputy Director and Coordinator of NAFDAC in Anambra, emphasised the importance of making healthy lifestyle choices. He said as young people, students are at a critical stage of their lives where the decisions they make would shape their future.
He stated that substance abuse could lead to addiction, health problems, and even death, and that it could affect their academic performance, relationships, and overall well-being.
He said to stay free of drug abuse, students should resist peer pressure, develop hobbies, take only prescribed medication, concentrate on their study and do not experiment with hard drugs.
“You must develop alcohol drinking refusal skills because of the consequences of alcoholism, you must learn to resist the urge to engage in alcohol drinking because once you start, you may not be able to stop,” he said.
Madubuatta said NAFDAC was taking the campaign against drug abuse to the grass roots by re-establishing NCSC in secondary schools.
He said the agency would collaborate with the school teachers to work with students to catch-them-young and prevent life of addiction and destruction.
Chinedu Eze, another staff of NAFDAC, charged students to educate their friends, brothers and younger ones about the importance of food and drug safety. He also encouraged the students and teachers to take the initiative of NCSC seriously and to become active participants in safeguarding the health of the nation.
In her brief remark, the Principal of the school, Benedeth Odiegwu, commended NAFDAC for its efforts to educate students about the dangers of substance abuse.
She said the evil of drug misuse and abuse is seriously tarnishing the image of the society and, however, called for all hands to be on deck to curb it.
