Health
Ize-Iyamu seeks drug testing law for students, job applicants in Edo
Janet Ogundepo
The Chief Medical Director of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Prof Idia Ize-Iyamu, has called for urgent legislative action to tackle the rising prevalence of drug and substance abuse in Edo State.
Ize-Iyamu urged the Edo State House of Assembly to domesticate a bill mandating drug testing for job applicants and students in state-owned secondary and tertiary institutions.
She made the call when the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yekini Idiaye, paid a courtesy visit to the hospital.
The CMD also called for stronger collaboration between UBTH and the state legislature on targeted interventions and rehabilitation programmes for youths affected by drug and substance abuse.
Highlighting the newly commissioned drug testing centre at UBTH, Ize-Iyamu said the facility was established in response to the increasing use of psychotropic substances, alcohol and other addictive substances in the state.
“The reason we decided to come up with the drug testing centre at UBTH is because of the scourge of drug and alcohol addiction. The use of psychotropic substances is on the increase in Edo State, and it is constituting a menace,” she said.
Ize-Iyamu said the centre had already recorded positive results among young people, raising concerns about the impact of substance abuse on the younger population.
“After we set up our drug testing centre, the very first group of people that tested positive were those who were under 20 years of age,” she said.
The CMD stressed the need for greater emphasis on prevention, noting that treating addiction could be more difficult once it became chronic.
“It’s more difficult to treat addiction than to prevent it. When addiction is chronic, it becomes a problem to society. It becomes even more of a problem when it affects the young ones,” Ize-Iyamu said.
She identified potential areas of collaboration between UBTH and the Edo State House of Assembly, including drug testing, specialised diagnostic and laboratory services and other healthcare initiatives that could benefit residents of the state.
In his remarks, the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Idiaye, said the purpose of the visit was to explore areas of partnership and collaboration with UBTH.
Idiaye stressed the importance of collaboration between the state government and the teaching hospital, adding that the visit was part of his engagements with federal institutions across the state to support sustainable development.
The Speaker was accompanied by the Majority Leader and member representing Esan South East Constituency, Hon. Sunny Ojiezele Osezua; the Deputy Chief Whip and Chairman, House Committee on Health, Dr Richard Edosa, representing Oredo West Constituency; and Hon. Donald Okogbe, member representing Akoko-Edo II Constituency.
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