Women, drug, and society
INTRODUCTION :
Women are faced with unique issues as regards drug use, this is influenced by their biological makeup as well as cultural roles.
STATISTICS :
Research has found that women use drugs in smaller amounts than men, but they can experience the effects more strongly. Substance use in women tends to develop in addiction more quickly than in men.
The growth, development, and well-being of women in society are threatened by the scourge of drug abuse.
The UNODC carried out a household survey in 2018 on the prevalence and use of drugs in Nigeria and arrived at statistics that one(1) out of every four (4) persons using drugs is a woman. This clearly shows that the involvement of women in drug use is on the increase.
This challenge continues to undermine the stability of families for which women are the pivots.
ROLES OF WOMEN IN SOCIETY:
A Woman is an adult female human being, her roles include; Women are the key to sustainable socio-economic development and quality of life in society.
The woman performs the role of a wife, partner, organizer, administration, director, recreator, disburser, economist, mother, disciplinarian, teacher, health officer, artist, and Queen in the family at the same time.
DEFINING DRUG: Any substance which could be natural or chemical which when used alters the right functioning of the body leading to behavioral and phsiological changes.
what this means is when drugs are abused it affects the reasoning and concentration of a person, leads to motivation, loss of focus, wastages of all kinds, violence, causes damage to the body’s organs, etc.
This effect challenges the roles and responsibilities of women in society. when this happens, society is at a loss because woman is a key component of societal development.
INTERVENTION:
- Education of women on the effects and consequences of drug use.
- Self-administration of drugs should be discouraged.
- The use of local, herbal preparations should be discouraged.
- The introduction of drug testing for Teens and young adults to determine their status should be encouraged.
- Women should be empowered through skills and job creation to enhance their contribution to society and motivation to lead.
