Etymologically, in English, the noun “drug” is thought to originate from Old French “drogue”, is derived from “droge (vate)” from Middle Dutch meaning “dry (barrels)”, which connects to medicinal plants preserved as dry matter in barrels.
Drugs are chemicals or substances that can affect one’s behavior and could affect the way one’s bodywork. Some also help people to get better, and are better when prescribed by doctors prescribe by doctors. When taken by swallowing, inhaling, or injecting, drugs(abused or prescribed) find their way into the bloodstream. From there, they circulate to other parts of one’s body.
Drug abuse or substance abuse refers to the use of certain chemicals to trigger pressure of create an effect on the Brain or any part of the body. In other words, Drug abuse is when you use legal or illegal substances in ways you shouldn’t.
Commonly abused drugs include:
- alcohol
- amphetamines
- bath salts
- cocaine and crack
- cough and cold medicines (DXM)
- depressants
- GHB
- heroin
- inhalants
- ketamine
- LSD
- MDMA/Ecstasy
- marijuana
- methamphetamine (“meth”)
- mushrooms
- PCP
- prescription pain relievers ( opioids)
- Rohypnol
- salvia
- Amphetamines
- Methylphenidate
- Kratom
- LSD (Acid)
- MDMA (Ecstasy/Molly)
- Mescaline (Peyote)
- Methamphetamine (Crystal/Meth)
- Over-the-Counter Medicines—Dextromethorphan (DXM)
- Over-the-Counter Medicines—
Loperamide - PCP (Angel Dust)
- Prescription Opioids (Oxy/Percs)
- Prescription Stimulants (Speed)
- Psilocybin (Magic Mushrooms/Shrooms)
- Rohypnol® (Flunitrazepam/Roofies)
- Salvia
- Steroids (Anabolic)
- Synthetic Cannabinoids (K2/Spice)
- Synthetic Cathinones (Bath Salts/Flakka)
- Tobacco/Nicotine and Vaping
What is Drug Law Enforcement
It is an Act or a body of rules and regulations use to enforce laws against the cultivation, processing, sale, trafficking and
use of hard drugs in Nigeria.
In Nigeria, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA) is a Federal law enforcement agency under the Federal Ministry of Justice
(Nigeria). It has the responsibility of seeing off, growing, processing,
manufacturing, selling, exporting, and trafficking of hard drugs.
It was founded in 1989; its Headquarters is at No 6 Port harcourt Crescent Area 11 Garki Abuja Nigeria.
Importance of Drug Laws in Nigeria
- Drug laws are crucial to the health and safety of the general public.
- It helps for regular checks and balances thereby regulating the Industry.
- It is designed to ensure the safety, efficacy, and quality of the drugs available to consumers.
- It facilitates access to medically useful drugs
- They help ensure drug effectiveness.
- The regulatory bodies ensure that all medicine production complies with the rules and regulations and ethical behavior guidelines outlined by the local and international bodies.
- The laws also ensure that all staff, including technicians
- pharmacists, chemists, and laborers are qualified.
- It helps to activate the National medical regulatory board, represented by medical regulatory authorities (MRAs)
The importance of drug laws can not be over-emphasized. These laws and agencies are set up to guide the manufacturing, processing, possession, distribution, sales, and consumption of drugs. As humans, we are also expected to help these agencies, and most importantly ourselves and generations unborn.