The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), in Ondo State, has tasked the state government and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to organise more sensitisation on dangers of drug abuse.
Mr Raymond Adeyemi, the State Coordinator of NURTW, stated this on Wednesday during sensitisation on drug abuse organised by Ondo State Ministry of Health in collaboration with NDLEA in Akure.
Adeyemi described the programme as revealing and capable of dissuading users of hard drugs from the act.
He added that the sensitisation would go a long way, saying that it should be spread across the federation.
He promised that he would convince his members to comply with aims and objectives of the sensitisation.
“I commend the sensitisation and it has enlightened us and enabled us to know more about dangers in the wrong use of drugs.
“You are doing great and I believe the participants will inform others that are not here.
“Please, do not stop here, continue to spread it across the federation. It should not be limited to this occasion.
“We will let them know that there is need to comply,” he stated.
Earlier, Dr Sunday Sajo, the lecturer at the event, explained that many road crashes in Nigeria are attributable to intake of wrong drugs.
Sajo, a psychiatric doctor, noted that drug abuse must be urgently and continuously addressed in the country.
He added that road crashes caused by drug abuse kill more than HIV in the country.
According to him, drug abusers are more aggressive and prone to various diseases.
The team had earlier sensitised some pregnant women in Arakale Health Centre, Akure.
At the health centre, Sajo stated that pregnant women needed to caution themselves on drug use, noting that they should only use drugs prescribed by medical personnel.
He warned the women against self-medication and use of hard drugs, saying that whatever they take would have effects on their babies (NAN)
