The Kwara State Government has reiterated its commitment to investing in initiatives and policies that empower young people and make drug abuse and crime unattractive to them.

This was highlighted during the second edition of the Stakeholders’ Summit on Drug Abuse, Prevention, and Control held in Ilorin.

Meanwhile, a 35-year-old repentant drug addict, Omoh Hussein, has urged the government and enforcement agencies to focus their efforts on big pharmacy stores and hotels, which he claims are major sources of illicit drug supply.

Hussein, who once engaged in the use and distribution of illicit substances, attributed his past struggles to socio-economic factors and believes that targeted interventions in high-risk areas could significantly curb drug abuse in the state.

The government says it will continue to strengthen policies to reduce the menace of drug abuse in the state.

Professor Baba Awoye is the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Managing Director, Budo Egba, Kwara state.

He paints a picture of the havoc synthetic drug abuse does to users and suggests possible ways out.

This gathering reflects the collective commitment of participants to tackling the growing menace of drug abuse, particularly the rising crisis of synthetic drugs.