Katsina, 29 July 2024 - On Monday, 29 July, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) conducted a special awareness lecture for health students at Khuddam School, Kofar Kaura, Katsina.

The lecture focused on educating the students about the dangers of drug abuse and the impact it has on the lives of young men and women, emphasising ways to avoid falling into such traps.

Muhammad Nura Salisu, an NDLEA officer in Katsina State and head of the teaching and awareness department on the dangers of drugs, presented the lecture on behalf of the NDLEA. He detailed the harmful effects of both hard and liquid drugs and their direct impact on mental health and cognition.

Nura Salisu explained the various types of these dangerous drugs, how they cause harm, and how to identify individuals using them. He also outlined the steps for providing support and guidance to help users recover, from initial awareness to reporting them to the agency for appropriate action.

During the lecture, he discussed the measures the agency takes to tackle drug abuse problems, from providing care to addicts to prosecuting major dealers.

In an interview with Katsina Times, Nura Salisu said they chose Khuddam Health School for this session because health professionals can utilise their knowledge and positions to help prevent drug abuse or the provision of harmful substances.

He mentioned that the initiative is not limited to Khuddam; it is an ongoing programme where they visit various communities annually to raise awareness about the dangers of drugs and to clarify the NDLEA's stance on drug abuse.

The programme, "War Against Drugs Abuse" (WADA), involves identifying outstanding students during each lecture to join as members and assist the agency in raising awareness about the dangers of drug abuse. The event, held in the school's hall, was attended by health professionals from the school and beyond, including Abdulmalik Ibrahim, Nuraddeen Garba, Aliyu Abba, Mr. Oka Okafor, Usman Hassan, Salisu Abdullahi, Madam Aisha, Babangida Ibrahim, and others.