Lawmakers, on Thursday, charged the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to clampdown the production and abuse of methamphetamine nick-named mkpuru-mmiri.
The house of representatives lamented the proliferation of illicit drugs in the country,
calling on the government to develop a plan to tackle the menace of illicit drugs.
According to Thecable, this resolution was passed on Thursday during plenary session after the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Henry Nwawuba, a lawmaker from Imo state.
Nwawuba said: “many homes in the south-east are currently facing the dangerous effect of methamphetamine nick-named mkpuru-mmiri.
An “estimated 75 percent” of the users have become a burden to their families and communities.
“Since 1990, the production of crystal meth has been hijacked by Mexican drug dealers who set up laboratories in Nigeria for the production of mkpuru mmiri in 2016.
“As a stimulant, it has a powerful euphoric effect similar to those of cocaine meth… typically keeps users awake depriving them of sleep, making them react violently and taking a toll on the physical look of its users.”
Also proposing the motion, Lynda Ikpeazu, deputy chief whip, said “It does sound like a joke, but it is actually very serious and killing a lot of people.
“In the next 10 years, if we don’t stop it, we are going to have a zombie society. In my constituency, you will see 11 years old person taking meth. What kind of future are we expecting these youths to have? We are going to have a doped-up society, a zombie society.”
The motion was unanimously adopted after Idris Wase, deputy speaker of the house put it to a voice vote.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse described methamphetamine as a “powerful, highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system” It takes the form of a white, odourless, crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol.
