The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Edo State Command and the national association of patient and proprietary medicine dealers Edo Statechapter are putting heads together with a view to checkmating drug abuse amongst youths in thestate. The forum which was in form of a one day workshop held at the Ogbe Stadium Benin City, sources said, was aimed at bridging tha gap between regulation and community-level healthcare provision. A statement to that effectbsigned by the Edo State Commander of theanti-narcotic agency, Dr. Mitchell Ofoyeju said, “The Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA, has called for a strategic partnership with patent medicine vendors, with the reinforcement of ethical dispensing practices identifying them as critical agents in the fight against substance abuse.
From the left: NDLEA Deputy Commander of Narcotics Hope Aigbogun, Deputy Commander of Narcotics Adeola Salaudeen, Commander of Narcotics Mitchell Ofoyeju PhD Edo State Commander, NAPPMED President Edo State, Mrs Victoria Omueti and Deputy Commander of Narcotics Victor Isibor at the workshop.
The call was made by the Commander of Narcotics, Dr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, at a one-day anti-drug abuse workshop organised for members of the National Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers (NAPPMED), Edo State Chapter. Held on Wednesday at the Indoor Sports Hall, Ogbe Stadium, Benin City, with the theme “Patent Medicine Vendors as Frontline Defenders: Ensuring Safe Medicines, Preventing Drug Abuse”, the workshop aimed to bridge the gap between regulation and community-level healthcare provision.
Commander Mitchell, addressing about 2,154 NAPPMED members across Edo South, resource persons, NDLEA officers, and the press, emphasised that the workshop is both a capacity-building exercise and a clarion call to adhere to the rules of access to medicines.
“We must unite to address the challenges of substance abuse and the illicit drug trade. When prescription drugs, psychoactive substances, and codeine-based cough syrups find their way into the wrong hands through unethical conduct, it can aggravate addiction, destroy families, and cripple the potential of our youth. The line between legitimate medicine and substance abuse is perilously thin. It is at this very junction that NAPPMED members stand as gatekeepers.”
In her welcome remarks, the state president of NAPPMED, Mrs Omueti Victoria, described the workshop as remarkable and pledged to work with relevant stakehold, adding, “We members of NAPPMED, as one of the health care providers regulated by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), will continue to work with relevant agencies in the fight against drug abuse.”
The NDLEA commander noted that the trust reposed in the medicine vendors by the public is immense, and it comes with a huge responsibility that extends beyond dispensing medications to safeguarding public health against the scourge of drug abuse. He highlighted the challenges faced in Edo State, noting the diversion of prescription drugs, psychoactive substances, and codeine-based cough syrups as well as the get-rich-quick mentality as key drivers of unethical conduct that destroy families and cripple the potential of our youth. The Commander outlined the workshop’s objectives, which include deepening the vendors’ understanding of drug laws, sharpening their skills in identifying drug abuse red flags, reinforcing ethical dispensing practices, and establishing them as active agents of prevention and referral; saying, “We are not here to vilify but to collaborate. We recognise you as legitimate, caring business people who provide essential services. The NDLEA will not hesitate to arrest and prosecute any erring member who violates the rules of engagement. Our aim is to empower you with knowledge so you can better protect your businesses, your communities, and our collective future from the devastation of drug abuse.”
