Nigerian Youth And Drug Abuse - Today's Leader Forum

PRESENTER: Olanrewaju Femi Arowosegbe

DATE: 19/10/2018

EMAIL: hephzibaharoo@gmail.com

VENUE: TODAY'S LEADER FORUM

INTRODUCTION

It is a popularly held belief that the youths of any nation are the leaders of tomorrow. They are the vehicles through which positive changes can be realized. This is why many tend to invest on the future development of its youths.

The term ‘Youth’ varies in definition, form and approach. A youth as defined by the National Youth Policy is any individual who is a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, between the ages of 18-35. This age group occupies the transition between childhood and adulthood exhibiting attributes of childhood dependence and independence of adulthood (Muraskin, 1999).

Furthermore, the hope and aspiration of any society lie on the calibre of youth in that society. However, Uthaymeen (2002) argued that if we take an examining look at the youth, in Nigeria, we will be able to conclude that youths generally are of categories; the upright youth, the corrupt youth and the confused youth.

Williams, (2016) maintained that, over 6 million bottles of codeine are sold on a daily basis in the NorthWest part of the country. National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) report of 2010 also shows that over 11% of people in the North-West zone use drugs. He also said due to the rise in drug addiction, young people make use of cough syrups to make themselves high.

Consequently drug addiction is a case peculiar with people between the ages of eighteen and twenty.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

DRUG: A drug is, in the broadest sense of the term, is a chemical substance that has known biological effects on humans or other animals. In pharmacology, a drug is "a chemical substance used in the treatment, cure, prevention, or diagnosis of disease or used to otherwise enhance physical or mental well-being."

DRUG ABUSE: Drug abuse  (as preferred by the world health organization), is defined as “a state of psychic or physical dependence, or both on a drug, following administration of the drug on a periodic or continuous basis.” Also can be define as an illegal use of drugs

DRUG ADDICTION: This is a state of period or chronic intoxication produced by repeated consumption of a habit-forming drug, leading to development of a psychological and physiological dependency on the drug.

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DRUG HABITUATION: This is a continues abuse of drugs or constant taking of a particular dosage of drug without developing physical dependency I.e the victim becomes upset and irritable without the drug.

DRUG RESISTANCE: Property of a disease-causing organism that allows it to withstand drug therapy. i.e the drug that does work for a person before is no more working form him or her.

Common Abused drugs.

1. Alcohol. 2) Cocaine. 3) Sedative, hypnotic, or ant anxiety drugs. 4) marijuana. 5) Indian hemp. 6) prescription drugs etc.

Signs and Symptoms of Drug Abuse.

Cravenness: Here you see the person craving for a particular drug and becomes increasingly upset if deprive of it, and he/she use any means to get that drug.

Tolerance: the person here wont be satisfied again with starting dose, he or she will want to increase the dose progressively to produce the same effect at the beginning.

Suffering:  This is usually experience either by the drug Addict, or the Society he or she belongs or both. And so on.

Effect of Drugs Abuse

Medical effects: Drug abuse can lead to a variety of respiratory problems. Smoking cigarettes, for example, has been shown to cause bronchitis, emphysema and lung cancer. Marijuana smoke may also cause respiratory problems. The use of some drugs may also cause breathing to slow, block air from entering the lungs or exacerbate asthma symptoms.

Physical effects: Injuries due to accidents (such as car accidents), physical disabilities and diseases, and the effects of possible overdoses are among the health-related consequences of teenage substance abuse. Disproportionate numbers of youth involved with alcohol and other drugs face an increased risk of death through suicide, homicide, accident, and illness (The Drug Abuse Warning Network DAWN 2011).

Mental effect: Mental health problems such as depression, developmental lags, apathy, withdrawal, and other psychosocial dysfunctions frequently are linked to substance abuse among adolescents. Substance-abusing youths are at higher risk than nonusers for mental health problems, including depression; conduct problems, personality disorders, suicidal thoughts, attempted suicide, and suicide.

Academic effects: Declining grades, absenteeism from school and other activities, and increased potential for dropping out of school are problems associated with adolescent substance abuse.

Why do youths abuse Drugs?

1. Experimental Curiosity
2. Peer Group Influence
3. Lack of parental supervision
4. Personality Problems due to socio-Economic Conditions
5. The Need for Energy to Work for Long Hours
6. Availability of the Drugs
7. Advertisement: Youth are sensitive to advertisement and copy quickly. The glamour in advertising alcohol and cigarette smoking make the youth want to be the way the advert depicts
8. Social pathologies: Such as unemployment and parental deprivation.

Preventions and Control measures.

Most people do not understand the effects of drug abuse especially on the youths. It is very necessary that drug abuse should be prevented or controlled. Drug abuse is a growing problem and drug abuse prevention should also be a growing measure and stronger in order to over-power the cankerworm.

Family: The prevention of drug abuse should start first from the family.

Religious Commitment: Parents should be committed in their service to God. Parents should be devoted and dedicated religious people. They should lead their children to God and make sure that they are committed in the service of God.

Care and Supervising or Monitoring: Parents should care for their children, meet their physical needs etc and also supervise or monitor them very well.

Conclusion

Drug abuse is a disorder that is characterized by a self-destructive pattern of using a substance that leads to significant problems and distress. Looking at the information gathered from various literatures, one can observed that drug abuse is not caused by a single factor alone, as expressed by many writers. It is caused by the interplay of at least two or more factors.

Drug abuse has not only becomes a universal, social and psychological problem but also emerged that the pattern of drug abuse have almost completely changed sharp and have taken a dimensional model of behaviour sales and consumption (abuse) of drug like marijuana, vellum, vanillin syrup and tremolos are conducted openly in all the states, local governments villages inclusive especially during electioneering campaign, politicians used to buy drugs or given substantial amount to buy and consumed drugs by youths.

Furthermore, uncontrolled drugs abuse its effect are accompanied by violence, crime, misbehaviour and hence a threat to society at large. Drug abuse is injurious to health and as a result should not be seen among youth's.

References

• Harper, Douglas. "drug". Online Etymology Dictionary. "Glossary of MHRA terms - P". MHRA. Retrieved 2008-11-05. 
• Muraskin, O. A. (1999), Youth and Morals (Islamic Culture Development office, Tehran.)
• National Institute on Drug Abuse (2015) The Science of Drug Abuse and Addition 39(3), 461-492.
• Uthaymeen, M. S. (2002), Youth Problems, in the light of the Qur’an and Sunnah: translated by Imam, A. R. A. International Islamic House (HPH).
• World Health Organization (1973), Technical Report Series No516 on Youth and Drugs.

ABOUT AUTHOR

Nurse Olanrewaju Femi AROWOSEGBE, Registered By Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria. Also A student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, State of Osun.

Posted by Blog-Admin October 21, 2018

Happy World Alzheimer's Day [What You Should About Alzheimer's Disease]

September 21st every year is World Alzheimer’s Day around the world. This is an international campaign aimed at raising awareness and challenge the common stigma that surrounds Alzheimer related dementia.

Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. In most people with Alzheimer's, symptoms first appear in their mid-60s.

Typical Alzheimer lesions start to develop in the brain already 10 to 20 years before the first symptoms (the pre-symptomatic phase of the disease). Only when the neuronal injury evolves and the cognitive reserve decreases, symptoms start to manifest.

Alzheimer's disease is currently ranked as the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, but recent estimates indicate that the disorder may rank third, just behind *heart disease* and *cancer*, as a cause of death for older people.

What is Alzheimer's Disease?

Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common form of dementia, is an incurable degenerative disease. Neurons in certain parts of the brain are destroyed which leads to deficits in cognitive functions, such as memory, language skills, and behavior.

CAUSES/RISK FACTORS of Alzheimer's Disease

Although the main cause of Alzheimer's disease is still unknown, But several factors are known to increase your risk of developing the condition.

▶️Age

Age is the single most significant factor. The likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease doubles every 5 years after you reach 65.

But it's not just older people who are at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Around 1 in 20 people with the condition are under 65.

This is called early- or young-onset Alzheimer's disease and it can affect people from around the age of 40.

▶️Family history

The genes you inherit from your parents can contribute to your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

▶️Sex

Studies has shown that being a woman increases your chance of developing Alzheimer's disease.

▶️Down's syndrome

People with Down's syndrome are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

This is because the genetic fault that causes Down's syndrome can also cause amyloid plaques to build up in the brain over time, which can lead to Alzheimer's disease in some people.

▶️Head injuries

People who have had a severe head injury may be at higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

▶️Cardiovascular disease

Research shows that several lifestyle factors and conditions associated with cardiovascular disease can increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

These include:

◻️smoking

◻️obesity

◻️diabetes

◻️high blood pressure

◻️high cholesterol

Signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease

1. Reduced ability to take in and remember new information, which can lead, for example, to:

▶️repetitive questions or conversations

▶️misplacing personal belongings

▶️forgetting events or appointments

▶️getting lost on a familiar route

2. Impairments to reasoning, complex tasking, and exercising judgment, for example:

▶️poor understanding of safety risks

▶️inability to manage finances

▶️poor decision-making ability

▶️inability to plan complex or sequential activities

3. Impaired visuospatial abilities that are not, for example, due to eye sight problems. These could be:

▶️inability to recognize faces or common objects or to find objects in direct view

▶️inability to use simple tools, for example, to orient clothing to the body

4. Impaired speaking, reading and writing, for example: difficulty thinking of common words while speaking, hesitations, speech, spelling, and writing errors

5. Changes in personality and behavior, for example:

▶️out-of-character mood changes, including agitation, apathy, social withdrawal or a lack of interest, motivation, or initiative

▶️loss of empathy

▶️compulsive, obsessive, or socially unacceptable behavior

Complications of Alzheimer's Disease

Memory and language loss, impaired judgment, and other cognitive changes caused by Alzheimer's can complicate treatment for other health conditions. A person with Alzheimer's disease may not be able to:

▶️Communicate that he or she is experiencing pain — for example, from a dental problem

▶️Report symptoms of another illness

▶️Follow a prescribed treatment plan

▶️Notice or describe medication side effects

As Alzheimer's disease progresses to its last stages, brain changes begin to affect physical functions, such as swallowing, balance, and bowel and bladder control. These effects can increase vulnerability to additional health problems such as:

▶️Inhaling food or liquid into the lungs (aspiration)

▶️Pneumonia and other infections

▶️Falls

▶️Fractures

▶️Bedsores

▶️Malnutrition or dehydration

Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease

As the exact cause of Alzheimer's disease is still unknown, there's no certain way to prevent the condition. But a healthy lifestyle can help reduce your risk. Examples include the following:

▶️stopping smoking

▶️keeping alcohol to a minimum

▶️eating a healthy, balanced diet, including at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day

▶️exercising for at least 150 minutes every week by doing moderate-intensity aerobic activity (such as cycling or fast walking), or as much as you're able to

▶️making sure your blood pressure is checked and controlled through regular health tests

▶️if you have diabetes, make sure you keep to the diet and take your medication.

Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease

There is no known cure for Alzheimer's. The death of brain cells cannot be reversed.

However, there are therapeutic interventions that can make it easier for people to live with the disease.

According to the Alzheimer's Association, the following are important elements of dementia care:

▶️effective management of any conditions occurring alongside the Alzheimer's

▶️activities and day-care programs

▶️involvement of support groups and services

▶️Drug therapy

No disease-modifying drugs are available for Alzheimer's disease, but some options may reduce the symptoms and help improve quality of life.

Cholinesterase inhibitors that are approved for symptomatic relief include:

◻️Donepezil (Aricept)

◻️Rivastigmine (Exelon)

◻️Tacrine (Cognex)

A different kind of drug, memantine (Namenda), an NMDA receptor antagonist, may also be used, alone or in combination with a cholinesterase inhibitor.

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Happy World Alzheimer's Day From All Of Us @ Just Ask Nurse

Posted by Queen Teephar September 21, 2018

Ways To Prevent Child Molestation

There has been lots of reports online about rape and child abuse. A child that starts the early stages of his/her life being abused sexually or in other forms will grow to be different from children brought up with no history of abuse. In this article, we are looking at ways to prevent child molestation.

Child Abuse is also known as  CHILD MOLESTATION. A child is a person who is strongly influenced by the ideas and attitude of a particular time or person.

Molestation is an act of attacking somebody most especially a child sexually. So child molestation can be defined as a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation which can either be engaging in sexual activities with a  child(whether by asking or pressuring or by other means), in decent exposure (of the genitals, female nipples etc) or using a child to produce child pornography. All these can happen or occur in a variety of settings including our individual homes,schools or work place.

Recent research has shown that the following things are as a result of molestations. Namely;

👉 Depression

👉 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

👉 Anxiety and even victimization in adulthood, this can result in more serious and long term psychological trauma.

It has been estimated that about 19.7% of females and 7.9% of makes are been molested. These children can end up been a victim of poor self esteem, having sleep disturbances and even anxiety disorders. That is why most children end up exhibiting regressive behaviour such as Thumb sucking or bed wetting, these however has definitely lead to death or gotten some children to Rehabilitation centres.

Ways To Prevent Child Molestation

PUBLIC ENLIGHTENMENT

This has been shown to be a critical tool in changing behaviour, attitude, beliefs and value system of people. Therefore there should be intense public enlightenment and education at schools, social clubs, cultural group gatherings, churches, mosques and through the media, to first of all, demystify the myths about sexual assault and child molestation.

These myths inform the way many people think about sexual assault, and because they are in the background unconsciously influencing people’s thoughts, the false assumptions may be seen as being true. For example, when we read in the newspaper that a young girl has been raped, perhaps near a nightclub, we often instinctively search for a cause other than the real one (that she was raped because a man with the power to do so decided to rape her).

Perhaps we proffer the reason for the rape as tied to the place she was raped, or the time of the day, or the clothes she was wearing, or the fact that she was alone. This way of thinking deflects blame from where it rightly belongs with the perpetrator of the crime.

It is this kind of community disposition and ignorance that detracts from tackling the real cause of sexual assault, without which preventive efforts will be futile.

INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK:

Prevention of sexual assault will remain a mirage until society puts in place institutional framework to deal comprehensively with actual cases of sexual assault. This approach involves functional, skilled, and synchronized services and also includes the criminal justice system, the police, social services, and sexual assault services.

¶ Encouraging victims/survivors of sexual assault to break their silence by making freely available such services, which should be community based.

¶ The successful prosecution of perpetrators, will serve as a deterrent and hopefully prevent the next person from falling victim.

PRIMARY INTERVENTION:

These strategies seek to prevent sexual assault before it occurs by changing environments so that they are safer for women (a simple measure like well lit walk ways could make a lot of difference, even though there are more factors to sexual assault than just dark places), building the skills and knowledge of individuals or changing behaviour. 

Primary prevention addresses its underlying causes (such as gender inequality and poverty), are effective prevention strategies.

EARLY INTERVENTION.

Is targeted to individuals and groups who exhibit early signs of violent behaviour or being subject to violence. These strategies aim to change behaviours or increase the skills of individuals and groups. This in my opinion may involve, for example, some reorientation, especially for “boys” that what is rather “cool”, a contemporary word for what is acceptable, especially among the youth, is having respect for the opposite or same sex, obtaining appropriate consent for sex, and accepting “NO” as meaning “NO”.

AFTER INCIDENT INTERVENTIONS

These strategies are implemented after violence has occurred and aim to deal with the violence, prevent its consequences and ensure that violence does not occur again or escalate.

Note: It is therefore time for an all inclusive fight against sexual assault, a fight which should devoid of sexual bias for grater efficacy and a fight which indeed is attainable.

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Do you find this article helpful? Endeavor to share with loved ones. Let's together put an end to CHILD ABUSE.

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Written By: OGUNWOLU KHADEEJAT OLOLADE (RN)

Posted by Blog-Admin August 16, 2018