The National Bureau of Statistics has released drug use in Nigeria report, which stated that drug prevalence rate is 14.4 per cent.
The bureau in a report, which was released on Tuesday, stated that the 14.4 per cent prevalence rate means about 14.3 million people.
According to the report, one in seven Nigerians between the ages of 15 and 64 had used a drug other than tobacco and alcohol.
It added that among every four drug users in Nigeria, one was a woman.
It noted that the highest levels of drug use were among those between the ages of 25 and 39.
The NBS report added that cannabis was the most commonly used drug, with about 10.6 million people using it in the past one year.
“Cannabis use was seven times higher among men-18.8 per cent among men compared to 2.6 per cent of women, while the gender gap in the non-medical use of pharmaceutical opioids, such as Tramadol, was six per cent among men, compared to 3.3 per cent among women,” the report read.
The report stated that the highest prevalence of drug use was found in the southern geopolitical zones with prevalence rates ranging between 13.8 per cent and 22.4 per cent, compared to the northern geopolitical zones which had prevalence rates ranging between 10 per cent and 13.6 per cent.
Nearly 40 per cent of high-risk drug users have shown the need for treatment of drug use disorders.
“Most of the high risk drug users considered it was difficult to access drug treatment. The cost of treatment and stigma attached to drug use were cited as the primary barriers in accessing or availing drug treatment services,” it added
It also said, Yobe, Imo, Bayelsa, Rivers and Lagos states were “the states where it was more difficult to access treatment for drug use disorder.”
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