Declare state of emergency on substance abuse, mental health expert urges govt

A mental health expert, Dr Abayomi Olajide, has called on the government to declare a state of emergency on substance abuse in Nigeria. According to Dr Olajide, 90 percent of bed spaces in psychiatric hospitals, both private and public, are currently occupied by patients with substance use disorder.

The situation is reported to be worsening, with an increasing number of secondary school students, commercial drivers, and females involved in drug abuse. Dr Olajide noted that substance abuse is high among secondary school students, even at a relatively young age, and that many people, including females, cannot function without using substances.

Dr Olajide, who is also the chairman of the Mental Health Action Committee in Ogun State, believes that tackling the issue requires a multi-pronged approach, including drug prevention programmes in primary and secondary schools. Daily Post Nigeria reports that he made the call during the Mental Health Awareness Walk Rally organised by the Association of Resident Doctors, Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, in collaboration with Edijalo Health Services LTD.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria, Daily Post Nigeria — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.