#PNN E-Mentoring (Taiwo Akinlami): Personal Safety/Self-Protection from Drug Abuse (2)

Hello dear young friends. Sure you are doing well today. I am doing very great. I am deeply sorry; I couldn’t be with you last week. I was out of base and had little or no access to the internet.

Today, I will like to continue our discussion on Personal Safety/Self-Protection from Drug Abuse. I will like to share with you what I have found as the reasons why young people like you go into the use of drug. Here are some of them

I. Example: I began to smoke cigarettes before I was 12 years old. My father smoked cigarettes regularly and I copied him. I had started drinking earlier. My father also drank and many days, he would be drunk and not be able to find his way home. I took after my father very early. That was to my detriment. I will share with you later how to deal with the impact of negative examples from caregivers.

II. Indulgence: as young people, you indulge yourselves. What does it mean to indulge? To indulge simply means to allow yourself to enjoy the pleasure of something you desire without carefully considering the consequences. It has been found that drug abuse is an area where many young people indulge themselves. The truth of the matter is that you give yourself sundry excuses why you indulge yourself in one kind of bad habit or the other. You think you cannot do without a particular thing or a particular lifestyle. One major reason why you indulge yourself is that you are not aware of the consequences of your actions. You fail to understand that for every action, there is a reaction. Therefore, no one gets away with anything. Until you choose to discipline yourself, you are not ready to live. I will spend time later discussing with you how to put your indulgences under firm control

III. Company: another reason why young people abuse drugs is company. ‘He that walks with the wise shall be wise but a companion of fools shall be destroyed,’ says the Holy Bible. If you walk with those who use drug, you can only stand out for a while. Majority will soon carry the vote of dominant behaviour. If you have identified what you consider to be a good behaviour, please do not join yourself with those who have contrary behaviour. The lures, a lot of time is that you may sincerely believe that you can change them. But that often turns out to be a set up. Your company makes you. Therefore you must watch your company.

I still have few more to deal with but, I think I should round off here are space is against us. We will take it from here next week. I yearn to hear from you. Your comments are important to me. Please bring them on. Also note that I am available for interaction on this platform. Please Stay SMART and do have your wonderful selves an INSPIRED week.

Taiwo Akinlami is a Barrister & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, foremost Child Protection Specialist, Consultant to UNICEF, governments, and other leading national and international organisations on Child Protection, Independent Legal and Social Regulatory Expert on Child’s Rights and Responsibilities Issues, Legal Enlightenment & Development Enthusiast, Researcher, Social Empowerment Advocate, Author, Blogger and an accredited facilitator of the British Council School Leadership Program. Website: www.taiwoakinlami.com│Blog: www.taiwoakinlami.wordpress.com│Twitter: @taiwoakinlami