It is day seven and signing out day of our #SAFE4MEMovement journey on drug abuse and today, I shall be sharing very briefly what I consider to be the chief of all antidote to the gravitation of your precious young people towards drug abuse and addiction.

 On Tuesday, May 1, 2018, I, The Preacher was on TVC Wake Up Nigeria, discussing the issue of our precious young people and the menace of drug abuse and addiction.

I identified as one of the causes of initiation and addiction to drug as Media Hypnotism…The fact that our precious young people are exposed to materials both on the mainstream and new media in the name of entertainment, through music, films and other expressions, which set them up for a life of vanity, where there is abundant tolerance for sundry vices like sexual immorality, fraudulent practices and drug addiction.

The saddest part is that the primary and secondary handlers expose their precious young people to contents that are not meant for their consumption. Our precious young People are unfortunately exposed to contents that glorify excessive drug usage and immorality.

The other day a popular musician, who enjoys a huge followership of young people sang a song titled, ‘Story for the gods,’ where he explicitly created link for our precious young people between consumption of hard drugs and sexual immorality.

Here is the opening of the song: I have drank dongoyaro (a local herbal drink)/And monkey tail (another local herbal drink, sometimes used as an aphrodisiac)/Madman, give me the claro (a local slang for weed)/I want to do sina today, sina today (sina is street lingo for adultery or fornication)

 She said she cannot wait o/She said it’s getting late o/She said she wants to faint o/Ah, story for the gods

 Now she’s saying “I’m in trouble”/“He has broken my arm o”/“He has broken my back o”/ Story for the gods, the gods o.’

According to www.grimotnanezine.com describes Monkey Tail  is ‘ though an unlikely sounding moniker, is simply a drink made of ogogoro (local gin) left to brew in igbo (marijuana leaves, stems, roots or seeds) for a few days or more, producing varying units of intoxication (UOI) for the user.’

The website goes further to explain, ‘the beverage gives users two different kinds of “highs” simultaneously with unpredictable outcomes, especially for a novice and depending on the alcoholic content, igbo potency and amount consumed. There is also the case of synergy where ten UOI of ogogoro plus ten UOI of igbo can cause thirty seven UOI when consumed.’

The other day I stumbled on the lyrics of a song titled, ‘Like dat’ by another popular musician. The chorus goes thus: ‘Hennessey ti wo body like dat ( High on Hennessey)/ Dussé ti wo body like that (High on Dussé)/Scordy ti wo body, like that (High on Scordy)/You no go kill somebody, like that/Hennessey ti wo body, like Dat/Dussé ti wo body like that/Scordy ti wo body, like that’/You no go kill somebody, like that…’
Now, this song is relishing in the idea of drinking hot and hard drinks. We may argue that these musicians do not claim to sing for our precious young people. But you and I know that the majority of those who consume these types of songs, which sample I cited above (and which are very rampant today) are teenagers. Besides, many adults, who are handlers of our precious young people do not know how to draw the lines when it comes to what entertainment they expose our precious young people to. I have been in programs meant for children and young people and all these songs are played freely for them. I guess it is either they do not have the moral compass to make the right and helpful decision in the best interest of the precious young people under their care or they are just simple careless about the consequences of their actions or omission on these precious youngsters today and tomorrow.

Here is my point, until we address our value system as the solutions to the many vices our precious young people are exposed to today and the role that the mainstream and social media play in same, we are not yet serious.

Permit me to conclude that handlers, who reside on the hill, raise children fit for the hill. Handlers, who dwell in the valley, raise children, conditioned for the valley. Handlers, who live like city with walls, raise children, conscious of the soundness and sanity of boundaries. Handlers, who live like a city without walls, raise children without any sense of boundaries. Dear handlers, where do you live? What kind of city are you? These are questions we must consciously answer, if we must raise precious young people free from drugs and other vices. The ball is completely in our court. A nation deserves the kind of young people, her parents raise.

Do have an INSPIRED week.

I am Taiwo ‘ODINAKACHUKWU’ AKINLAMI (The Preacher) and I Speak for the Precious African Child

T: 2348033620843, 08056979605 W: http://www.taiwoakinlami.com B:http://www.taiwoakinlamiblog.com T: @taiwoakinlami

Culled from our instructional materials: S.A.F.E™ for YOU

TIP 117

GUIDELINES TO RESPONSE: DRUG ABUSE

“Remember that just because you hit bottom doesn’t mean you have to stay there.”

Robert DOWNEY J

 My dear and precious young friends, sure you are doing great today. I am glad to be here with you today. I am sure you have resumed school and settled down to give your education your best effort this term. I pray that God will crown this term for you with great success.

Today, I will be sharing with you tips on how to avoid drug addiction/abuse:

1. Accept that drugs are not good for you: to avoid drug abuse, you must accept deep down in your heart that drugs and its abuse have nothing good to offer you. The consequences of drug abuse as I have noted on this page are not small and your young minds do not have what it takes to handle it. Therefore make up your mind to desist from drug abuse of any form. This will help you to preserve your future and be free from the consequences of drug abuse.

2. Watch your company: be careful, who you join yourself with. Human beings, particularly young people like you are easily pressure into wrong habits like drug abuse by wrong friends. The holy writ says, ‘good communication corrupts good manners.’ Identify where you are going in life and make up your mind that you will only join yourself with people, who are going in the same direction, you are doing in life.

3. Seek for help: if you are involved in drug abuse and you are finding it difficult to quit the habit despite all your efforts, it is time to cry out for help. Silence is not an option. When you speak out, you will find help. Talk to your school counselor or any other person, who you know can help you. If you are being pressured into drug abuse by a peer or group of peers, do not give in. It is time to cry out for help. Talk to your parents, teacher and other people, who can call the situation to order. Silence must be embraced, Silence is a killer and it keeps slowly but surely. I charge you today not to die silence and seek for help. Let me assure you that when you seek for help, you will surely find.

4. Accept that you can be free from drug abuse: I started drinking alcohol and smoking as a child because my father drank and smoked. By the time I got to the university, I started smoking marijuana. I was hooked on drug till I was age 27(twenty-seven). It was as it I will never stop, but on day, I asked God to help me and he did. God helped me to believe that I could be free from drug abuse. That was 18(eighteen) years ago. I have been free since then and I have never gone back to my vomit. You too can believe today that you have what it takes to be free and decide to be free. If I can do it, I believe you can do it. I understand that I could not continue to live according to the mistakes made by father. I decided to take my life back and lead a new life. God has been faithful and I am most grateful to Him and I know He is willing and able to help you if you call on Him today.

I will sign out here today. I am through with this discussion. I will begin to discuss with you from tomorrow how to protect yourself from being recruited by terrorist groups. Do have your wonderful selves an INSPIRED day.

The THINK Factor

I charge you today to identify which major guidelines you need to personally pay attention to in your responsibility to protect yourself from Drug Abuse. Take time to really reflect and share your thoughts in your S.A.F.E™ 4 YOU Personal Journal

 

 

 

 

Culled from our instructional materials: S.A.F.E™ for YOU

TIP 94

DRUG ABUSE (3)

“Addiction begins with the hope that something “out there” can instantly fill up the emptiness inside”.

Jean Kilbourne

Good day to you my dear and precious young friends. Sure you are doing great today and you had a great night.

I must confess to you that I sometimes struggle to meet with you here. The two major reasons why meeting you here is often top on my agenda are: the first is that I owe you a duty to share with you, having been divinely mandated; secondly, I believe the discussion on your Personal Safety and Self-Protection must make it to the Promised Land  we set when we began this discussion from day one.

Today I will continue with the reasons why I believe young people get into drug abuse.  III. Company: another reason why young people abuse drugs is company. ‘He that walks with the wise shall be wise but a companion of fools shall be destroyed,’ says the Holy Writ. If you walk with those who use drug, you can only stand out for a while. Majority will soon carry the vote of dominant behavior. If you have identified what you consider to be a good behavior, please do not join yourself with those who have contrary behavior. The lures, a lot of time is that you may sincerely believe that you can change them. But that often turns out to be a set up. Your company makes you. Therefore you must watch your company.

IV. Media power: the manufacturers of products like cigarette fight for a space in the mind of young people. They know that many young people suffer from what I call, ‘Reality Deficiency Syndrome.’ It simply means that many young people are not at home with the consequences of their actions. They also know that young people like adventure and easily bow to peer pressure. They work on your mind and pressure you use their products. These days, they do not do it directly since government seems to have succeeded in stopping direct tobacco advert. Today, they advertise tobacco subtly. They get your role models to smoke cigarette. You see them smoking in the home and music video you watch. Since, you admire their talents and successes and you desire same; very soon you begin to follow their habit automatically. Somewhere at the back of your mind, you believe that their lifestyles produce successes you admire and desire and if you must enjoy same you must copy their lifestyles. This is called ‘Subliminal Advertising.’

V. Reaction to Abuses: it has been found that abuse leads to anger and depression in young people. When young people are angry, they become defiant, when they become defiant one of the things they take to is drug addiction. They want to show that they are ready for the worst and get back at the abusers and the society, which is not able to stop the abuse. When young people become depressed, they become very low emotionally. At that point, they begin to look for something to make them forget their sorrow. In most cases they take to drugs for comfort. The truth must be told that drug offers false comfort and hope. Drug is never an answer to depression. In fact it deepens it and the drug abuser becomes frustrated. When he/she couldn’t find anything higher, he/she sometimes decide for suicide.

Permit me dear young friend to sign out at this point. I think our space is up. I will be with you tomorrow to continue this chat.  Do have your wonderful selves an INSPIRED day.

The THINK Factor

I urge you to not only read but imbibe and practise the nuggets I share with you here that it may be well with all the days of your life. If you agree with me please open your S.A.F.E™ Journal and make your commitment in writing that you will not only practice what you are reading here but will also teach others within your network.

culled from our Instructional Material: S.A.F.E™ 4 YOU:

TIP 92

DRUG ABUSE (1)

“Drugs are a waste of time. They destroy your memory and your self-respect and

everything that goes along with your self esteem.”

Kurt COBAIN

My dear and precious young ones I am glad to be with you today. Sure you are making the best of your day.  My pleasure is to be with you today as we discuss the matters of your Personal Safety and Self-Protection.

I will be discussing with you for the next few days what drug abuse really means.

In considering the definition of drug abuse, we must first understand that “Drug” and “Abuse” are two different words. The need then arises to define both words separately to get the meaning of the phrase: “Drug abuse”.

“Drug” is defined by Advanced Learners’ Dictionary as follows:

• Substance used for medical purpose either alone or in a mixture substance that changes the state or function of cells, organs, or organisms.
• Substance (often habitual forming) inducing sleep or producing stupor or insensibility e.g. opium, cocaine.

 

From these definitions, drugs can be divided into two classes:

• Drugs that are medicinal in nature and
• Drugs that are stimulating in nature.

“Abuse” means “to make a bad or wrong use of”. Another word that is used inter-changeably with the word, “abuse” is the word, “addiction”. Addiction means “the instance of being given to, habitually or compulsively”.

Flowing from the definitions of abuse and addiction it becomes clear that all kinds of drugs can be abused or addicted to. It has even now being found that other drugs like panadol, paracetamol are being abused by the Nigerian youth.

Few popular examples under the first category of drugs are panadol, paracetamol, etc. while drugs under the second category include ‘cannabis, Opium, synthetic “designer” drugs like Ecstasy, Codeine, Lizard Dung, Office Pins, Barbiturate derivatives, Benzodiazepines like Alprazolam, Diazepam, Amphetamines, Phenethylamine and Tryptamine derivatives; different forms of drugs are available for inducing euphoria,’ as set out by Usama Dandare in article titled, Codeine Abuse: Mis-Shaping The Future Of Nigerian Youths, published on www.abusidiqu.com.

This enlightening article also submits as follows: ‘the menace of drug abuse has now taken a formidable dimension whereby our youths indulged in a new modus of attaining a drug-induced stimulation ‘getting high’ and sorrowfully, the new dimension is nothing but that of “Codeine Phosphate” – a medication meant to cure cough and cold-related ailments but surprisingly, codeine has turned out to be a favourite euphoria to many.’

An article titled, Nigerian Youths In Search Of Intoxicated Substances: The Future In Danger, Published on www.thenigerianvoice.com, it is revealed that  ‘in recent years new substance of abuse such as vapour from pit latrine, gutter, and stagnant dirty water, excreta of animal (e.g lizard dung) is gaining popularity and being used by the children and adult to get high… People in the first categories(the elite) are much addicted to drug like cocaine amphetamine, depressant (barbiturate and alcohol). The middle class are more addicted to narcotics (heroin and morphine) and hallucinogen (cannabis, marijuana, LSD, codeine and alcohol) while the poor are identified with various forms substances ranging from ogogoro, glue, mandara sukudai, gegemu among others.’

In recent interview, Published http://www.thisdaylive.com, the former Director General, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mr. Otunba Ipinmisho, revealed that ‘40% of Nigerian Youths Engage in Substance Abuse.’

It is a sobering day for me discussing this tip. I will like to rest here as we continue tomorrow. Do have an INSPIRED day.

The THINK Factor

What do you really think about what we discussed today? Do you really think this is a major problem among young people today? Take time to really reflect and share your thoughts in your S.A.F.E™ 4 YOU Personal Journal and share with your parents and other trusted caregivers and friends.