The Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria says cannabis is the most commonly abused drug with an estimated 10.8 per cent of the population said to have used it in 2019.

The Abuja branch of the association, said on Friday that one in every five Nigerians who had used drugs in 2019 now suffered from drug use disorders.

The chairman of AHAPN, Abuja branch, Abubakar Danraka, explained this in a release on the 2020 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, under the theme, ‘Better Knowledge for Better Care.’

He said, “In Nigeria, the 2018 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime drug use report in Nigeria revealed that one in seven persons aged 15 to 64 years had used a psychoactive substance – a drug other than tobacco and alcohol for non-medical purposes in 2017.

“One in five persons who had used drugs in the past year is suffering from drug use disorders. Also, cannabis is the most commonly used drug of abuse, with an estimated 10.8 per cent of the population using it in 2019. The average age of initiation of cannabis use among the general population was 19 years.

“We use the platform to call on Nigerians to join hands with pharmacists and other health experts to understand the psychology of drug addiction. We appeal to parents and guardians to dedicate more qualitative time to young adults for good mentoring and adequate parenting so as to nip in the bud any signs of drug misuse and abuse at homes and schools.”