Drugs Intake: Growing up, my dad was a professor so I had lots of chance on my self esteem. I knew what I wanted, how I wanted it, who I wanted and why I wanted them… Let me just say everything I do or does was/is intentional. But then we lost him when I was thirteen.
In relation with this article, “What is responsible for the recent state of Drug and Alcohol Abuse by Youths in Nigeria?”
A lot of youth in Nigeria have self esteem issues which most leads to oppression and oppression of course leads to depression and when you are depressed, you are not physiologically stable to making the right decisions.
So the first reason why there is a rampant increase in the number of Youth who takes drugs and alcohol is low self esteem.
My dad always made me understand that I’m different and that is what makes me special. A lot of youth do not know what makes them different is what make them special also.
While I was in the University, I really didn’t have friends because I suffer from Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), maybe because everything I do is intentional, things have to be the way I want them and the moment they ain’t that way I become restless and sometimes sweaty and few time I get sick.
But because my dad had made me understand that I’m special, no one could tramp on me and I couldn’t get manipulated into doing things that I don’t feel is right or anything I know might be disastrous to me or the world at large.
Peer Pressure
Some few months ago, around November while I was in camp, the introduction day, there was this drunk lady who sat beside me; she kept on screaming “I’m a marlian and she was doing all sort of annoying things.”
I moved to my hostel and slept off. This are group of youth peer pressure can easily lead astray, because they want to be seen as strong, able and of a certain clique.
Curiosity
Many youths are curious about many things, the more curious one is, the more you are likely to try a lot of new stuff and heaven help you know what you are doing, you will find your path to the right place. But if not you get lost totally in trying to find answers to everything that looks like a puzzle to you.
This is my best way of stating why youths use drugs and abuse alcohol in Nigeria without sounding like NDLEA.
The increased drugs intake by youth can be curbed once all the above points can be looked into.
