The University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo State, has advocated gender-sensitive and community-driven interventions to address the rising menace of drug abuse among youths in the state.

The institution’s recommendation was the focal point of an evidence-based research study titled “Gender Dimension of Drug Abuse among Secondary Schools in Ondo City, conducted by the institution’s Centre for Gender and Health Equity.

The research findings were unveiled at a seminar held at the Oladipo Akinkugbe Hall, Laje Campus of UNIMED, supported by the university’s Central Office for Research Development (CORD).

Dr Modupe Adediyan, while presenting the research findings, said that social media remains the primary source of information on drug abuse among adolescents.

Adeniyan, therefore, stressed the need to leverage the same platforms for awareness campaigns against substance misuse. She listed the commonly abused substances to include alcohol, tramadol, cannabis, and codeine, among others, saying that 77.2 per cent of the respondents were aware of the substances.

“Males reported higher abuse rates and severity, correlating with social norms and greater freedom, while female use involves less potent substances, influenced by social relationships and survival tactics.”

The seminar, which featured stakeholders, such as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), psychiatrists, counsellors, among others, also harped on strategic interventions like banning hard drugs, prohibiting drug sales, enforcing rules, and teacher accountability.

Meanwhile, Director of the Centre for Gender and Health Equity, Prof. Augustinah Duyilemi, who spoke earlier at the seminar, said: “There are differences in how male and female students experience addiction.

“Deploying gender-sensitive approaches to tackle adolescent substance abuse will make a huge impact. Drug abuse is a ticking time bomb that requires the whole community to address.”