Decriminalization Of Drug Abuse And Addiction -By Fatima Abiola Popoola

Prevention, counselling, treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration of People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) has been the concern of all governments of the world and especially the United Nations. It is no gainsaying that drug abuse, addiction and trafficking is a global problem that has put all countries on their toes for centuries.

Drug Abuse: A term in wide use but of varying meaning. In international drug control conventions ‘abuse’ refers to any consumption of a controlled substance no matter how infrequent. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV, American Psychiatric Association, 1994), ‘psychoactive substance abuse’ is defined as “a maladaptive pattern of substance use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, as manifested by one (or more) of the following within a 12 month period: (a)recurrent substance use resulting in a failure to fulfil major role obligations at work, school or home; (b)recurrent substance use in situations in which it is physically hazardous; (c)recurrent substance-related legal problems; (d)continued substance use despite having persistent or recurrent social or interpersonal problems caused or exacerbated by the effects of the substance”.

Drug Addiction has been described by some experts as a recurring compulsion or obsession by an individual to use drugs despite negative consequences, recently the word drug addiction been replaced by the term ‘drug dependence’. According to the WHO Lexicon of Alcohol and Drug Terms, Addiction is defined as: the repeated use of a psycho-active substance or substances, to the extent that the user (referred to as an addict) is periodically or chronically intoxicated, shows a compulsion to take the preferred substance (or substances), has great difficulty in voluntarily ceasing or modifying substance use, and exhibits determination to obtain psycho-active substances by almost any means.

Decriminalization of Drug Abuse and Addiction According to Wikipedia: Decriminalization usually applies to offences related to drug consumption and may include either the imposition of sanctions of a different kind (administrative) or the abolition of all sanctions. Decriminalization or de-penalization is the removal of penal controls and criminal sanctions in relation to an activity, which however remains prohibited and subject to non-penal regulations and sanctions. Decriminalization of drug addiction came to the limelight as one of the recommendation of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961 amended by the 1972 Protocol which proposed among other recommendations that drug traffickers should be prosecuted rather than drug users. The Convention on Psychotropic Substances 1971 and the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances 1988 have all introduced help to People Who Use drugs (PWUD). According to Ban Ki-Moon former U.N. Secretary General on World Day Against Drugs 26^th June 2015, “We must consider alternatives to criminalization and incarceration of people who use drugs and focus criminal justice efforts on those involved in supply. We should increase the focus on public health, prevention, treatment and care, as well as on economic, social and cultural strategies.” This approach provides a new method of dealing with drug abuse and addiction and its total adoption will lead to lesser number of people that will be addicted to drugs as well as reducing the harm that addiction can cause to users.

In Nigeria and everywhere in the world, the first and most affected of addiction problem is the immediate family of the person concerned. Most parents have different interpretations to the behaviors of a child who abuses or is addicted to drugs, reasons from spiritual, criminal, bad friends or peer influence, blames and even denial are among the reasons given by parents to explain their understanding of the child’s situation. The above reasons no matter how realistic or unrealistic are not helping the child but compounding the already existing problems!

Of course drug abuse comes with numerous deviant behaviors but in most cases aggravates to health issues and if we go by the understanding that the abuse of drugs can lead to addiction which eventually transforms to brain problems meaning that the user is no more in control of his actions, then we shall be seeing these problems as more of a health issue than criminal!

Although most parents of People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) have gone through bitter experiences, ignorance about ways to handle the issues of drug abuse and addiction has further aggravated the problems and the end result is an unrepentant, stubborn and an uncooperative Child!

Some myths of Drug Abuse and Addiction: There are many common misconceptions about drug addiction, but understanding the truth behind the myths about these disease can help us understand what drug abuse and addiction is really like.

• Most people believe that drug addiction is a choice that the people who use drugs allows it to happen but the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) explains that while the person may have made an initial decision to use the drug, addiction causes distinct changes in the brain that affect the person’s self-control and ability to stop himself from giving in to strong desires to use the drug. The NIDA also defines addiction as “a chronic, often relapsing brain disease” that makes a person seek out and use drugs in spite of the drug’s negative effects.
• Only people with no will-power struggle with drug addiction: there is also a misconception that drug addiction is a sign of weakness and lack of willpower. However, in reality, many different factors come into play when a person develops an addiction. According to the Mayo Clinic, Florida; some common factors makes a person more likely to develop a drug addiction: (a) Gender – Men are 50% more likely to struggle with drug abuse and addiction. (b)Other psychological conditions – A person who is struggling with another psychological condition such as anxiety or depression may use drugs as a form of self-medication. (c)Family history of addiction – Having one or more relatives that has an addiction makes a person more likely to also develop one. (d)Family problems – Tensions between parents and children, spouses, and other loved ones can create stress in a person’s life that can lead to drug use, which in turn can lead to addiction. (e) Pressure from friend – Peer pressure can be a powerful influence on people, especially teenagers and young adults, to start using drugs. (f) Addictive potential – Drugs like heroin and cocaine are extremely addictive, so using them can make a person develop an addiction faster.

• Drug addiction cannot be treated or cured: The most common myth about drug addiction is that it cannot be treated or cured. It is true that addiction is a chronic disease that will stay with a person his entire life, but like other chronic diseases, addiction can be effectively managed with proper care, attention and professional help. The only hopeless addiction cases are those who deny or avoid the issue altogether. Asking for help is the first step to recovering from a condition that is completely treatable.

• Addiction is bad behavior that needs to be punished: Once punished properly, a person will stop being addicted. This is another one of those myths about drug addiction that is not true. Opting for treatment instead of punishment or prison time would save the criminal justice system a great deal of human and capital resources as well as help the drug dependent persons to become useful to themselves and the society.

Advantages of Decriminalizing Drug Abuse and Addiction

• The society will see a drug dependent person as one who is sick and not a criminal that should be punished for a crime.
• People will love to help a drug user to prevent the problem from affecting others (just like the prevention of an epidemic).
• The problem of stigmatizing a drug user will be reduced drastically.
• Drug users and their families will be willing to assess treatment without fear or shame.
• Philanthropists and other stakeholders in the society will be ready to invest and sponsor treatment programs to prevent epidemic situation created by drug use.
• Treatment will become cheap and affordable to the less privilege.
• Recovery will be faster in rehabilitation and treatment centers than in jail.
• Treated and reformed users will become productive to the society thereby reducing more initiation of new addicts.
• Political violence and thugs that are induced by drugs will be reduced.
• Our courts will have more time to concentrate on criminal cases.

Common Mistakes made by Families and Friends: Some of the mistakes made by families and friends of People Who Use Drug is the inability to be patient to understand the user’s present condition, Insulting, blaming, judging and criminalizing the actions of the user will further push him/her away from the people who are supposed to love or care for him.

Actions Required by Families and Friends: When a drug abuse or addiction problem is discovered, the first step a parent should take is to draw the child closer for the purpose of providing help by seeking information from the child on how the whole problem started reasons for the new habit, secondly seek information from professionals who can help in the child’s recovery. Most parents are shocked, disappointed, ashamed and sometimes annoyed at the knowledge that their wards are abusing drugs, this dangerous steps will further distance the child from immediate help and worsened situation.

Government Actions: The government is the biggest entity that has the wherewithal to engage in massive sensitization like the one that was done at the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. All print media, radio and social media, billboards, pamphlets, stickers should be used to create awareness so that the public even as far as remote villages will be aware of these. All hospitals (private and public) should be mandated to sensitize patients. Partnering with relevant agencies like the Ministry of Education, Ministry of health, National Orientation Agency, The NAFDAC, The NDLEA, NGO’s, Schools, Parents, Parents and Teachers Association (PTA), Religious Leaders and Traditional rulers among others is important because the scourge of drug abuse and addiction is likely to surpass that of HIV/AIDS if care is not taken!

Fatima Abiola Popoola is a counselor with

NDLEA Kaduna State Command (abiolaodus9@gmail.com).