CODEINE; The Growing Addiction



Over three million bottles of codeine syrup are consumed daily in Kano and Jigawa states!!!
Yes, you read that correctly!!! Three Thousand!! (3000)

THE Senate, yesterday, raised the alarm that the 19 Northern states of the federation were under serious threat due to drug abuse, stating that over three million bottles of codeine syrup were consumed daily in Kano and Jigawa states.

It disclosed that across the 19 states, women, young girls in tertiary institutions, working class ladies, married, unemployed women displaced by Boko Haram insurgency, among others, were involved in drug abuse, and that in 2015 alone, over 2,205 people were arrested in North-West geo-political zone by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, over drug-related abuses.

Is Codeine Harmful?
Codeine is typically administered in liquid or pill form (frequently in combination with acetaminophen), and when used under the direction of a medical professional, codeine is a relatively safe way to treat minor pain or control troublesome coughs. However, users often abuse codeine for the feelings of relaxation and euphoria they produce.

Like other opiates, codeine also has an itchy, sedating effect. A codeine user may be drowsy, especially if he (or she) is using a high dosage or is abusing the drug. His heart rate will slow down, which can lead to fainting or dizziness. Its mental effects could include confusion, irritation, antagonism or agitation. If effects or dosage are more intense, there could be hallucinations or even convulsions.

Codeine abuse can develop into a full-fledged codeine addiction. In fact, codeine has been classified as a Schedule II drug, meaning it has a "high potential for abuse."
Like many opiates, withdrawal symptoms from codeine can be quite severe, keeping the user in a cycle of use they find difficult to stop.

Codeine Short-term Effects
Codeine is often abused for the effects in can provide in high doses:
* Euphoria.
* Feelings of being drunk.
* Altered consciousness.

However, some of the more common negative short-term effects of codeine use include:
* Nausea and vomiting.
* Excessive drowsiness, dysphoria or confusion.
* Dry mouth.
* Constipation.
* Allergic skin reaction or rash.

At high doses , codeine can also cause dangerous short-term effects for drug users via respiratory depression:
* Breathing can slow.
* The heart rate can drop.
* Blood pressure can fall.

When a user takes an excess dose of codeine, he is subject to loss of consciousness, respiratory collapse and/or cardiac arrest. The resulting decrease in oxygenated blood to various organ systems could be quite devastating. Without enough oxygen, tissue in the brain and heart can die, leading to permanent organ damage or even death.

 Long-term Effects of Codeine
The long-term effects of codeine can be quite dangerous to the body and sometimes fatal. 
The cardiac and respiratory slowing effects of codeine and other opiates do not develop as rapidly as the tolerance to the euphoria and pain-relieving effects. As people begin to take more and more of the drug to achieve the same effects, the risk of overdose increases, with decreased respiration (lung function) and other medical complications including:
* Organ damage.
* Coma.
* Death.

The biggest long-term issue with codeine use is that the drug causes dependence . Aside from the physical problems that codeine abuse, codeine addiction can lead to a number of social and lifestyle issues, including:
* Financial problems.
* Emotional and relationship issues.
* Inability to work.
Crime.
* Drug-seeking behavior such as "doctor shopping".
* Lying about or "covering up" addictive behavior when confronted by friends and family.

What needs to be done about this? 

 Is this abuse experienced just in the North, or is it a nationwide issue? 

 Are drugstore owners (pharmacists) to blame?

 What role does the Government have to play? 

 Are Parents to blame? 

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