ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

3 takeaways from BBC Africa's documentary on codeine abuse in Nigeria

‘Sweet Sweet Codeine’ has since revitalised a dwindling conversation on codeine abuse in Nigeria, sparking reactions and conversations on social media.

Later in the day, it hosted a private screening of the full-length documentary and announced the launch of Africa Eye, its investigative documentary unit.

The documentary, titled ‘Sweet Sweet Codeine’, delves into the underworld of codeine distribution and sale in Nigeria as well as the effects of the drug on young women and men around the country.

ADVERTISEMENT

‘Sweet Sweet Codeine’ has since revitalised a dwindling conversation on codeine abuse in Nigeria, sparking reactions and conversations on social media. It has even spurred the federal government into action and elicited responses from private corporations.

Here are 3 important takeaways from the documentary.

1. Banning codeine will not solve anything

Before it is a substance of abuse or a source of income for underworld dealers, cough syrup with codeine is a medical drug. Banning it eliminates a functional choice for people that are sick and need it and it does very little to solve the actual problem -- drug addiction.

The Nigerian federal government has already moved to ban codeine importation, probably in reaction to the potency of the BBC Africa documentary. On Tuesday, May 1, 2018, Prof. Isaac Adewole, Nigeria’s minister of health, announced that “The Federal Ministry of Health has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to ban with immediate effect further issuance of permits for the importation of codeine as active pharmaceutical ingredient for cough preparations.”

ADVERTISEMENT

However, banning the importation of codeine only gives more leverage to smugglers and street dealers who can go on to hike their prices and control more channels of distribution.

Addictions have no respect for scarcity or prohibition. If an addict cannot get their drug legally over the counter at pharmacies, they will look for it through other means. And if they cannot get their high from codeine, they will get it through other means. So, banning codeine is not a sensible solution, in the long or short-term, it might only exacerbate the problem. There are stories that young people turn to sniffing lizard dung or glue to get their high.

2. Nigeria is not equipped to handle the rehabilitation of codeine addicts

The documentary takes Ruona Meyer to Kano where she visits a rehabilitation centre for recovering addicts. We see young men and women (who have their identities hidden) chained to the floor and some behind bars. It looks like they are just brought to the centre and left lying around on the cold hard floor. This is not an isolated incident, however.

For a problem that has plagued the country for over 30 years, the rehabilitation of codeine addicts does not feature prominently in discourses around Nigeria. Very little is done by way of donations and research grants aimed at getting to the bottom of the problem.

ADVERTISEMENT

The rehabilitation centre that is the focus of this documentary does not have enough manpower to deal with the number of addicts streaming in week-on-week. The premises are outmoded, littered with dirt on sandy soil and old cars that might no longer function.

If this is an epidemic, Nigeria is not prepared to deal with it.

3. Pharmaceuticals are either complicit or negligent

Following the release of the documentary, Emzor Pharmaceuticals (which prominently features in this story as one of the company’s staff turns out to be a black market dealer), announced it is suspending the distribution of Emzolyn with codeine “pending the results of a full and thorough internal investigation”.

However noble this may seem, it is difficult to imagine that Emzor has been unaware of the epidemic or its impact on company sales. If cough syrup with codeine sells as fast as we are led to believe, then it is interesting to believe that such a spike in sales never caught the company's attention. If, in fact, it did, then it is more interesting that nothing has been done about it until now.

ADVERTISEMENT

Assuming the employee in question acted on his own, stealing merchandise from the company and selling on the black market, how possible is it that no one high-up was alerted that products containing codeine were disappearing without any trace?

These are some things to think about. Pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria need to be held to a higher ethical standard than they currently are.

Other things that stand out in this documentary are the role of Nigerian security agencies in curbing (or allowing) the movement of codeine around the country. Products are often moved in large quantities inter-state, through highways that have police checkpoints. This is something to be looked at.

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!

Unblock notifications in browser settings.
ADVERTISEMENT

Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:

Email: eyewitness@pulse.ng

Recommended articles

7 do's and don’ts of the Holy month of Ramadan

7 do's and don’ts of the Holy month of Ramadan

Top 5 sweetest celebrity mother-child relationships that stand out for us

Top 5 sweetest celebrity mother-child relationships that stand out for us

International Women's Day: 5 Nigerian female celebrities championing women’s rights

International Women's Day: 5 Nigerian female celebrities championing women’s rights

Top 5 female directors in Nollywood

Top 5 female directors in Nollywood

6 things that will break a Muslim's fast during Ramadan

6 things that will break a Muslim's fast during Ramadan

5 benefits of fasting during Ramadan

5 benefits of fasting during Ramadan

Dos and don’ts of supporting Muslims during Ramadan

Dos and don’ts of supporting Muslims during Ramadan

5 young women who embody Y2K and alte fashion

5 young women who embody Y2K and alte fashion

How March became women's history month

How March became women's history month

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT