I had seen a couple of videos of young boys and girls struggling for their lives, as they experienced muscle jerks, screaming and helplessly gasping. Never did I imagine it wasn’t a scene from a movie, until this night. I went to visit an old friend in Surulere, just as I gotdown from my car I saw a small crowd.In my usual manner, I got close to feed my senses. The guy was on the floor holding firmly to the front right tyre of a danfo bus parked on the street, and screaming; “I don die, I don die o” he was sweating profusely and kicking his legs in every direction. I then asked what was wrong with him and like three to four of the people standing and watching chorused, “omo, na ‘COLORADO’ tins o”.
Spice, k2, black mamba, na the major nick names for this substance in jand, but here in Nigeria, on the streets of Naija where this drug is seriously gaining ground, you hear them ask for Lamba, Happy Boy, Scooby Snaxand of course, Colorado.
The destructive emergence of a culture of casual drug use, has been supported by the recent genre of our home made music and major players on all levels of the drug business chain getting involved in the entertainment industry as a cover up for illicit activities. While the consumption of substances like Marijuana, Codeine and Tramadol have reached alarming rates, another deadly substance is wreaking havoc, causing kidney failure, terrible forms of convulsion and dangerous manifestations that could lead to death.
Colorado is made from synthetic plant. It contains heavy metals, and usually it is laced with chemicals not suitable for human consumption. It causes itching, loss of consciousness, irregular breathing, and certainly gets you high. The users have manifested various symptoms, but one thing is sure, their expression during their state of intoxication is not encouraging.
In my line of duty, I interact a lot with young people, I ask them a lot of questions and get unusual answers. Drug usage is now a major part of the daily life of most young people living in urban areas. They believe without these drugs they are not okay, and they will not have the right attitude. Why would any right-thinking boy wish to take substances that will slow him down when can he outrun UsainBolt, why do they want to go slow, isn’t that asking to be retarded? Not so long ago, I learnt about two or three returnees who stabbed their parents for being in their spaces – what nonsense! But I blame the parents of this generation; they give their kids so much space and luxury, apparently to allow themselves the time to be irresponsible. Why would you leave a 10- 15-year-old boy or girl a room to himself or herself, very far away from your room or even on a separate floor? What are we doing with all the big houses we live in all around town. Parents no longer search their children’s rooms, or even wardrobes. I have 2 boys, and I have enough space to keep them in separate rooms, but I have promised them that by the grace of God they’ll share a room till they go to college, and not just sharing a room, the room has to be close to my room and they must run an open door policy. I talk with them at all times and about everything, we pray together and we play together.
Back in school, I knew a girl that was allegedly raped in her own house, while her brother was having a party. The story was that they lived in a very large house with so many rooms, a large basement and a pent house. Once a child gets to 10 to 12years old, the child begins to experience boredom, which is actually when you need to keep an eye on them. You teach them and direct them properly. The internet and the society generallyis so fast paced that we need to stay close to these kids every moment, otherwise we lose them with the slightest second of lost concentration. We need to constantly talk with our children, observe their behavior andknowwhen they change. Be able to figure out what influences those changes and their outcomes. We shouldn’t leave the duty of bringing up our children to their school teachers because it is primarily our duty.
Unto the colarado matter, it seems the abuse of substances is eating seriously into the fabric of entertainment, especially our music. The ‘Marlians’ as they are called believe so much in it. Back in the day, you’d have to travel a distance to find one mold or wrap of marijuana, these days the whole thing has gone scientific. Igbo is now mixed in the lab. It started with the gentle’Sk’, now the violent ‘colo’ is here, what I don’t know is if it will stay, because it is a very violent one. The more you try to keep up with these children, the faster they move towards things that will make them slow; codeine to tramadol, tramadol to many others. We invented private universities, built safe walls around them, yet these kids woke up with new ways to get high without a stench, within the safety we have created for them. That makes it very difficult for the uninformed parent to know what’s up.
Sex is a major factor in today’s drug abuse amongst youngsters. The quest to outperform each other and over impress the female counterpart is what should be looked into. Unfortunately, social media has created a platform for this expression. I’m afraid to say that the way things are going; these children will soon turn the use of dangerous substances into an art form. What a time we are living in, who can tell where all these started from. Have we over pampered our next generation by making them too comfortable, or have they latched onto the weak ‘bad’ lifestyle we showed them, and have decided to show us really what ‘bad’ should be like? Whatever it is, we need to pay attention, before we lose a whole generation to drugs, alcohol and sex.
Whose ears can I whisper these thoughts into that would do something about it? how do I make these young lads realize the huge mistake called substance abuse? I need more muscle on this matter. I need everyone who has a voice or who can speak to join me, because this one no be small thing o.