The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA, has inaugurated a call centre designed to help drug addicts seek treatment from the agency.
The Chief Executive of the Agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) at commissioning in Abuja said that drug users and addicts no longer have excuses not to seek treatment with the commissioning of a modern 24/7 call centre set up to attend to Nigerians from all parts of the country.
He noted that the NDLEA call centre has toll free helpline and is manned by professionals and experts in counselling, psychotherapy, psychology and psychiatry among others.
According to him, “the provision of this toll-free helpline is a milestone in our resolve to broaden access to quality health care for drug users in the country. This has become a necessity and a strategic intervention in our determined effort to bring under control the increasing cases of drug use disorder and related health concerns.”
Marwa said that the country has treatment centres, while NDLEA has 26 treatment facilities across its commands, adding that, the number is grossly inadequate in the face of statistics of drug users and those suffering from drug use disorder.
“NDLEA recognised the importance of providing a safety bubble for users who ordinarily cannot access the conventional treatment services at established rehabilitation centres due to poverty, social stigma and the resultant discrimination attached to being an identified drug user in society, among other factors.”
“Therefore, the inevitability and the utility of a toll-free helpline that guarantees anonymity, confidentiality and safety, as a motivation for those in need of health help to freely seek such.”
Benefits:
The NDLEA boss explained that “the benefit of the Call Centre is manifolds. Aside from helping us in providing telephone-based psychosocial support and addiction services in the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), it will at the same time provide us with information that will deepen our understanding of the country’s dynamics of drug use and potentially put us ahead of the game.”
“To those in need of help, we open a new chapter today, whereby help is just a phone call away.”
In their remarks at the event, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN represented by the Director of Public Prosecution of the federation, Muhammed Abubakar, UNODC country representative, Oliver Stolpe and European Union delegation representative, Eleni Zerzerlidou commended the NDLEA for the initiative and called for its expansion and sustenance.
Dominica Nwabufo
