REVERSIBLE AND IRREVERSIBLE EFFECTS OF DRUG ABUSE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Drug abuse is described as a patterned use of a drug or substance in which the user consumes the substance in amounts or with methods which are harmful to themselves or others. Nutt, D.; King, L. A.; Saulsbury, W.; Blakemore, C. (2007). The resultant effect is that criminal or anti-social behavior occurs when the person is under the influence of a drug. Other effects may reflect physical, social, and psychological harm; The agency vested with the responsibility of eradicating the drug war in Nigeria is the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) .The drug war has constituted a major challenge in Nigeria following the increasing number of cases of drug convicted case globally coming from Nigeria. The agencys fight is to eliminate the growing, processing, manufacturing, selling, exporting and trafficking of hard drugs. Consequently the agency has spread its net to combat the menace through establishing its presence in seaports, airports and the countrys borders. The agency is also targeting the leaders of drug business and money launderers. NDLEA war centers on the arrest, investigation and the prosecution of offenses related to drug trafficking. In other cases they are vested with the responsibility of destroying hard drugs, plants, and related substances and collaborating with international drug units to enforce the eradication of the menace. Nigeria constitutes a major destination of drug trafficking in Africa and continues to expand its network worldwide. They control the drug market in sub-Sahara Africa and maintain distribution from different locations all over the world.The huge deal on heroin in the United State comes from Nigeria and smuggling activities of cocaine from America to Europe and Africa are carried out by Nigerians. They are also involved in the cultivation and exportation of marijuana from Nigeria to other countries in West Africa and Europe. Consequently the rate of drug trafficking in Nigeria requires decisive actions to eliminate the menace. A study on frequent arrest of drug trafficking in British airports shows that 65 percent of the heroin seizures of 50 grams or more came from Nigeria, which constituted a transit route for 20 percent of all heroines coming from the region of Southwest Asia. The study also shows that   20 percent of this hard drug cases in Britain came via Nigerian ships. This development has resulted in a huge number of arrests in foreign countries involving Nigerians and many have been jailed for the crime. The study seeks to appraise the reversible and irreversible effects of drug abuse.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The resultant effect of drug abuse is that criminal or anti-social behavior occurs when the person is under the influence of a drug. Other effects may reflect physical, social, and psychological harm; The war against drug trafficking in Nigeria has attracted the concern of the federal government as well as various stakeholders in the private sector. This is due to the increasing level of drug trafficking in the country. The reports of drug trafficking and drug convicted cases in foreign countries reveals that a huge percentage are Nigerians and many have been jailed for the crime. The Nigerian law enforcement agency was set up and vested with the responsibility to arrest, investigate and prosecute of offenses related to drug trafficking. In other cases they are vested with the responsibility of destroying hard drugs, plants, and related substances and collaborating with international drug units to enforce the eradication of the menace. However, despite the effort of the agency to eradicate the menace, the level of drug trafficking has been on the increase. There has been some allegations of corruption of non -conviction of high level drug traffickers, lack of appropriate technologies, poor funding and trainings. Other identified issue concerns the lack of clear policy guidline.Consequently despite the antinarcotics war the Nigerian borders remains porous enabling increasing influx of drugs and drug traffickers. It is important at this point to evaluate the performance of the agency with the view to determining the challenges confronting the agency in other to proffer appropriate recommendation and solution. Therefore the problem confronting the study is to appraise reversible and irreversible effects of drug abuse.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The fundamental objective of the study is to appraise the reversible and irreversible effects of drug abuse; The specific objectives of the study include;

     1 To determine the nature of drug abuse.

     2 To determine the reversible and irreversible effects of drug abuse.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1 What is the nature of drug abuse?

2 What is the reversible and irreversible effects of drug abuse?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study shall appraise the reversible and irreversible effects of drug abuse.The study shall therefore serve as a veritable source of information to stakeholders to proffer interventions which will address the problem.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study focuses on the appraisal of reversible and irreversible effects of drug abuse.

1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The study was confronted with logistics and geographical factors.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

DRUG ABUSE DEFINED

Drug abuse, is described as a patterned use of a drug or substance in which the user consumes the substance in amounts or with methods which are harmful to themselves or others. Nutt, D.; King, L. A.; Saulsbury, W.; Blakemore, C. (2007). The resultant effect is that criminal or anti-social behavior occurs when the person is under the influence of a drug. Other effects may reflect physical, social, and psychological harm;

NDLEA DEFINED

The agency vested with the responsibility of eradicating the drug war in Nigeria is the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).The agencys fight is to eliminate the growing, processing, manufacturing, selling, exporting and trafficking of hard drugs.