Pentazocine Injection: NDLEA Decries Abuse By Youths
In Borno State, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is bemoaning the “high abuse of pentazocine injection among youths in the state.”
On Friday, Mr. Joseph Icha, the NDLEA Commandant in Borno, mentioned this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri on Friday.
It is reported by NAN that a pentazocine injection belongs to a group of medicines called narcotic analgesics (pain medicines). It acts upon the Central Nervous System (CNS) to relieve moderate to severe pain and may be used either before surgery or with a general anesthetic (medicine that puts you to sleep during surgery).
A Pentazocine is only available with a doctor’s prescription as when a narcotic medicine is used continuously for a long period of time, it may become a habit thereby causing either a mental or physical dependence.
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Mr. Icha said that a pentazocine injection is only recommended for medical purpose but youths tend to abuse it by injecting themselves. He said that the use of the injection has now become rampant amongst youths, causing great concern.
According to him, “users of pentazocine injection are sometimes unable to buy syringe used for the injection. Most of them will be sharing syringes and when they continue to do so, they are opening up the possibility of spreading other diseases such as HIV/AIDS.”
He explained that the NDLEA had already arrested 113 persons for various drug offences within the first quarter of 2022, and pointed out that the abuse of substances by youths in the state had contributed to the crime rate and other anti-social acts. Mr. Icha explained that the agency was collaborating itself with the Nigerian Military, Police as well as other security agencies to combat drug abuse and trafficking.
“When we go for raids in some of the hot spots, we invite the Nigerian Army and the Military police. The raids are always successful when we go with them and it has really helped in the drug abuse war in the state.”
Mr. Icha had also called upon stakeholders to assist the NDLEA in the fight against drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking in both the state Nigeria.
SOURCE: NAN
