The death of three students of Federal University of Technology Owerri , during a sex romp after allegedly downing overdose of tramadol and Indian hemp is heart rending. Thefourth person, the lone girl involved in the orgy attended Federal Polytechnic Nekede. One can only imagine the trauma parents of these students face as they try to reconcile the tragedy that has befallen their families. They have my sympathy.
Perhaps, if we are living in a highly litigious environment, like in the United States of America, the law could be tested whether the parents of the foursome are not victims of a failing state? As high as the presidency, we were told recently that tramadol has been banned from entering our country. Also we know that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency every now and then emphasises its relevance by displaying seized kilograms of banned Indian hemp.
Like light weapons, which have been described as weapons of mass destruction, illicit drugs have become weapons of mass destruction for our youths. At a talk shop for parents of secondary school students I attended, drug abuse by teenagers turned a hot debate. Parents were shocked to learn how our so-called soft drinks when mixed withgrinded sweet, turn into hard drugs. In fact one of the parents urged for a ban of a particular soft drink in the school premises.
It is important to study the trends, the remote causes, where the abuse is preponderance and why. There is also the need to encourage schools to incorporate the dangers of drug abuse in their curriculum, to teachstudentsthat they must avoid the concatenation of ordinarily harmless substances, as it could turn totheir devourer. Parents should also be regularly engaged, and educated on what to watch out for, as early signs of potential abuse by their wards.