30,000 bottles of codeine consumed daily in Niger state - Research
- A research by DIWA revealed that 30,000 bottles of codeine are consumed daily in Niger state
- The research also revealed that about three million Nigerians consume codeine, with women and youth being the largest consumer
- DIWA appealed to the federal government to focus on the black market where the product can still be sold despite its ban
Few days after the federal government placed a ban on the use of codeine in the country, a research study has revealed that about 30,000 bottles of codeine made of cough syrup are consumed daily in Niger state.
The research carried out by the Development Initiative of West Africa (DIWA) also revealed that about three million in Nigeria consume this product in order to make themselves high, the Nation reports.
Legit.ng gathered that this revelation was made during DIWA quarterly awareness program tagged #Ban Codeine in Naija in Minna, Niger state.
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According to the Niger state DIWA chief executive officer, Mallam Musa Mohammed El-Sani, the cough syrup is mostly consumed by the youth and women.
He lamented that the society is confronted with a painful antecedent of people consuming codeine to attain a certain high psychological and emotional status that is negative to the brain and body.
El-Sani noted that codeine had contributed to the high rise in crime, kidnapping, raping, terrorism and killings in the country.
DIWA appealed to the federal government to focus on the black market where sales of the dangerous product may still be thriving despite its ban.
It also called for intense monitoring to checkmate the pharmaceutical companies and chain distributors in order to arrest the situation.
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Legit.ng previously reported that the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) said it would step up inspection, monitoring and supportive supervision activities in all registered premises in the country to curb the challenges of drug abuse.
Elijah Mohammed, the registrar of the council, revealed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday, May 4, in Abuja.
Mohammed said the measure was sequel to the directive by the minister of health to the council and other regulatory agencies to supervise the recall of codeine-containing cough syrup nationwide.
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Source: Legit.ng
