Good parenting stem drug abuse among youth – Expert
Parenting
By Stella Kabruk
Kaduna, March 18, 2020 (NAN) Dr Joseph Maigari, Director General, Kaduna Bureau for Substance Abuse, Prevention and Treatment (KADBUSA), says good parenting can help to curb alarming rate of drug abuse among youths.
Maigari stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Kaduna.
He said the average national prevalence rate of drugs and substance abuse was 14.4 per cent with 10.9 per cent prevalence rate in Kaduna State.
The director noted that with parents getting closer and becoming more of friends to their children, they would be able to know when their kids were involved in drugs and seek for solutions.
“Parents have a profound impact on their children’s decision to try alcohol or other drugs but the relationship between parents and their children are often delicate.
“You have to be involved in their lives, but avoid being a helicopter parent who is smothering or over -protective.
“Eventually; children have to make choices for themselves, if parents lend appropriate advice and act as positive role models, they can influence the choices their children make.
“Parents will do almost anything to keep their children safe, but communicating with children becomes more challenging as they get older. That is why you should talk to your children about alcohol and other drugs early,” he said.
Maigari disclosed that statistics of the survey conducted by the state indicated that the trend of drugs and substance abuse was rising among women.
“As kids get older; they become more influenced by the things they see on television, internet and social media. They also listen to their peers and get mixed messages and they have to determine which information to believe.
“Parents have to know what their children listen to and make informed choices for them.
“The state has conducted survey and understand that 10.9 per cent of the people have drug use problem, and one of 10 is female.
“This will help us to set target and work towards achieving the intervention programme.
“There are several effective ways to discourage your children from trying addictive substances, and you can be the biggest source of support if your child needs help recovering from addiction.
“You can keep your children from becoming a statistics by being involved in their lives, having honest conversations with them and practising what you preach,” Maigari said.
He advised parents to get closer to their children and establish good relationship with them so as to know when they were involved in drug abuse.
According to him, the agency is conducting awareness creation activities to encourage behavior change towards drug abuse and mobilise community engagement in the fight against drug abuse. (NAN)
KSS/ORO/RSA
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Edited by Razak Owolabi/Rabiu Sani Ali