The work we do in the field of drug abuse prevention comes from a deep place. As an organisation working closely with drug-prone,we have seen firsthand the devastating impacts drugs have on young people and everything meaningful.
Many people in our team have had to relive those moments many times. Recently our executive director shared a heartbreaking encounter he had:
“Earlier today,I came face to face with this sad reality. On my way back from the day’s business, I saw a former schoolmate,someone who used to smoke marijuana(Igbo). Nine years after we all left school,he is completely broken and wandering the streets as a mad man(literally speaking).My heart ached seeing what drugs had done to him. This wasn’t just a statistic; it was someone I knew, someone whose future has been stolen by drugs.I couldn’t help but think of all the possibilities he and his loved ones envisioned when he first got admitted to school.”
This experience shared by a member of our team is not an isolated case. Every day in our communities, we see how young people fall into the trap of drug abuse, believing they’re in control until it’s too late. What begins like a desire to experiment soon spirals into a web of addiction.
Addiction slips it unannounced and before you could tell, you are trying to get a hold of yourself to no avail. When a person begins to experiment and get addicted,he is not the only one thrown into chaos. Everyone and everything around them is scared. Many parents are aching because of the drug problems of their children. The pain is real. Some families have paid the ultimate prize. Some children have lost their lives either due to an overdose,an illness that resulted from drug abuse or a reckless action when under the influence of drugs.
In all of these,one thing stands out and that is the importance of drug abuse prevention. No young person wakes up with a desire to be addicted to drugs. A series of events propels them towards that destructive end. The goal of drug abuse prevention is to empower them with the knowledge and skills they need to navigate those events and circumstances without having to turn to drugs. We must realize that education, support,early intervention and creating credible alternatives can stop drug abuse among young people before it starts.
At Busaosowo Foundation,we are inspiring and challenging young people to know that drugs don’t solve problems; they create them.
To every young person out there: drug abuse is a trap. What seems like a casual experiment today can alter your entire life.
Say no to drugs, not because you’re weak, but because you’re strong enough to choose better.