Drug Abuse In Sports

NDLEA raises alarm over rate of drug dependent young persons in Kano

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Kano State Command has raised the alarm over the preponderance of youths in the demography of drug dependent persons recorded in the state.

The state Commander of the agency, Mr. Suimala Ethan disclosed this on Monday during the United Nation’s Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking held at the Indoor Sports Hall of the Sani Abacha Stadium.
Speaking to the guests, majority of whom were school children drawn from various schools in the state capital, the commander stressed that yearly statistics of incidents of drug abuse, arrests, seizures, counseling and rehabilitation of drug dependent persons showed that the drug problem in Kano State was real and pervasive.

He noted that from January to May this year, the command arrested 360 suspects with a whopping 1.6723 tonnes of various drug exhibits, including the seizure of 11 vehicles and the conviction of 106 suspects, who were sentenced to various jail terms by the courts.

He added that within the same period, a total of 274 drug dependant persons were counseled and rehabilitated by the agency, even as he noted that Kano would have been in a bigger mess if the seized 1.6723 tonnes of drugs were not taken out of circulation.

The NDLEA boss, who charged youths to stay away from drugs and face their studies, emphasized that the agency was not relenting on its strides, in spite of their modest success, adding that they were poised to rid the state of the present drug scourge.
In his remark, elder statesman and Nigerian’s former permanent representative to the United Nations, Alhaji Maitama Sule lamented the drug problem among the young ones in the society and said any country whose young ones were into drugs stood the risk of an endangered future.

Several experts were invited to talk to the audience, while the NYSC NDLEA club presented a short drama illustrating the dangers of drug abuse in the society.

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Teens that Play Sports Less Likely to Use Drugs | Teen Drug Abuse

Researchers at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor used survey data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which followed 12,000 students from senior high as they entered their mid-twenties to determine the impact of physical activity on drug use while in school and later in life.

Roughly half of the students completed the surveys up till they were 25 or 26 years of age. Students were questioned regarding alcohol, smoking, and drug use as well as their involvement in sports and exercise. Interestingly, involvement in sports did not curb alcohol use among youngsters. Those who played team sports were shown to drink more than their peers. And, those who drank earlier on were more likely to continue the habit into adulthood.

Researchers suspect that drinking may be seen as a social bonding activity amongst teammates. After all, major sporting events such as the Super Bowl, which define American culture, are laced with televised beer ads all throughout the game. There are many other possible reasons why athletes might be more prone to drink than those who do not exercise or participate in team sports. There might be peer pressure to drink in celebration of an evening’s win. Some kids might drink to deal with pressure from parents and coaches to perform. Others may just carry that same competitive spirit they have on the field to the party scene with friends.

Whatever the case may be, the study underscores the importance of alcohol education and prevention programs for those participating in sports. While particpating in sports is not a guarantee that a child will stay drug or alcohol free, it does improve chances he/she will live a healthy lifestyle overall. The results of the study were also fairly consistent with prior studies on the subject.

A 2000 study published in the journal, "Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine," surveyed 14,000 U.S. high school students. Results from that study showed that those participating in sports were not as likely to be involved in experimenting in drugs as those not a part of sports. Their overall perception of drugs in general was also negative.

Researchers caution that data from the studies does not confirm a direct cause – effect relationship between playing sports and decreased drug use. There could be other factors that play into these results. Parental involvement, busy game schedules, and a focus on being healthy and in getting in shape might all have an effect on staying away from substance abuse.

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