The Lagos Achievers Lions Club District 404A3 has urged the government at all levels to invest in sports development as a means of addressing the menace of drug abuse.
The club disclosed this at a youth engagement session held at the Obalende Community Centre, Obalende, Lagos State on Sunday to commemorate the World Youth Day.
Speaking at the session, the club’s president, Imeobong Oluyemi, noted that sports development would keep more youths engaged and deter them from engaging in drug and narcotics abuse.
Oluyemi noted that the choice of the Obalende community for the sensitisation exercise was due to a need assessment conducted in the community which revealed the prevalence of drug abuse among young persons in the area.
She added that beyond engaging with the youths, efforts should also be focused on the parents who are the first contact for the youths.
Oluyemi said, “This event is part of our activities to celebrate World Youth Day. Because this area is our district jurisdiction, we conducted a need assessment within the community and we realised drugs are prevalent among young persons usually between the ages of 14 upward.
“This finding informed our decision to hold this sensitization. We adopted the football match because we realised that we could only get the attention of the youths by organising an event that would keep them engaged.
“I believe if the government would invest in sporting activities, this will help to keep the youth engaged and prevent them from engaging in drugs.”
In his speech, the Lagos Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Abubakar Wali, urged the youth to desist from drug abuse for a brighter future.
“Drugs are meant to heal and cure sicknesses but when taking in excess pose dangers for the body. Some drugs are not meant to be consumed which are the ones that the government placed a ban on.
“Drugs can make you lose your focus and vision and you will not be able to achieve that which you intend to achieve positively. So we are ready to guide you to achieve this but you need to be focused to be able to achieve your purpose,” Wali said.
Also speaking, a poetry therapist, Maureen Anyaku, stressed the role of the family in curbing drug abuse. She urged parents to be on the lookout for actions that depict drug abuse in their wards.
She added that though the community plays a significant role in the prevalence of drug abuse among youths, Anyaku stressed that members of the community should take responsibility in the fight against drug abuse.
“I think the first that can be done at the family level is attentiveness. A lot of parents are busy chasing the bag and making money but do not notice changes in their children. When a child starts taking drugs, an attentive parent would know. If as a parent, you do not pay attention to your children while busy making money, no matter the amount you make, you end up using it to solve the problem your children will create.
“Community leaders and religious organisations need to start taking responsibility to address the issue of drug abuse. Communism involves helping the community, so churches, mosques and community leaders must do everything to salvage the youths from drug abuse,” Anyaku noted.
The highlights of the event included a football match between the Obalende and Dolphon communities and a sensitisation for selected parents in the community.