Drug Abuse: Educate Your Children About Healthy Choices, Says Expert

Dr Adedotun Ajiboye, Clinical Psychologist, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, has urged parents to prevent their children from drug abuse by talking to children about the consequences of the act and the importance of making healthy choices.

Ajiboye gave the advice in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said drug abuse is a social menace in society that is ruining many lives, especially the health of the users, families, communities, labour organisations and nations across the world.

“Talking honestly with your child about healthy choices and risky behaviours is very important,’’ Ajiboye advised.

According to him, drug abuse is connected to all social vices in society such as kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery, rape, cyber-crime, domestic and societal violence

“People abuse both illicit drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and and and heroine among others and licit ones, such as tramadol, cigarette, alcohol and pentazocine psychoactive substances."

He said poor parenting, exposure to technology and the environment are many factors recognised as major predictors of drug abuse in the generation.

He further explained that for poor parenting, parents using any form of psychoactive substances can easily influence their children to use as well, adding that a theory in psychology-social learning confirmed this, noting that when a child observed the parents using psychoactive substances, he or she could emulate them.

He said some environment can be seen as rearing grounds for drug addicts which gives people access to the use of substances 

“One of the biggest fears for parents is that their child could either meet inappropriate people, or engage in inappropriate activity online,’’ Ajiboye said.

Speaking on the impact of negative family environment, he said poor language development by age three and later behaviour problems are some of the challenges.

He identified other challenges as aggression, anxiety or depression, deficits in school readiness and impaired cognitive development from age three to 24, adding that such unsuitable home environment are unhealthy for the development of children

He advised that taking a week break from social media platforms might improve the well-being of children and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.