Much has been said and much more has taken place in the past four decades on the subject of illegal drugs. Presently the situation is obviously taking on a drastic dimension. Today, “DRUG” is a household word. An average home all over the world, today knows enough about drugs considered illegal by law.

Many families have been forcefully broken apart, many people have lost their dear lives, many have being in and out of prisons while a good number of people are to this day, still languishing inside prisons for various reasons related to drugs:  their production, distribution and final consumption.

Too many youths all over the world have allowed themselves to degenerate into such a miserable state of insolvency while few have taken advantage of the high drug demand to make themselves super rich- with all the above reasons and many more taken into consideration, one will be forced to ask questions such as: What is the actual meaning of drug?, does this drug deserve all the attention given to it all around the globe?, is this  drug truly such a negative social substance or, are we ourselves responsible for our social and individual problems which we simply blame on drug?.

According to the modern dictionary- “A drug is a substance used in the treatment and prevention of sickness or disease” it is also defined as a chemical substance, especially a narcotic, taken for the effect it produces”. For the benefit of this article, let’s limit ourselves to the last definition- The effect drugs produces on us. And to buttress this, I want to tell you about my first DOPE, experience and the effect it produced on me:

The first day I was introduced into the controversial haven of ‘cannabis’ (marijuana)- I was 14years old, still in college in class three. This took place in Nigeria, my country, the year was1977.

It was a warm and humid evening, the mild breeze from the ‘Urasi River’ blowing through our house in ‘Ugbelle’ towards oblivion; making every leaf and small tree branches meander in rhythmic acknowledgement of its invisible presence.

That fateful evening, in company of my uncle’s chauffeur-23years old, another friend and myself. We took refuge in a building under construction, close to my family house. Making sure no one was within sight;  The chauffeur dipped into the front pocket of his short sleeve shirt and pulled out a ‘finger-size stick of cigarette , lit it, and then, inhaled a ‘thick-grey smoke’ deep down his lungs then, held it for what seemed eternity.

As he finally gave up and exhaled, our ambience was instantly invaded by such an acrid aroma very unpleasant to the sense organs. Each inhalation makes the giant reefer to burn and glow to amber red, emitting from time to time a crispy noise like a cracking dry seed.

Satisfied with himself, he challengingly passed the glowing reefer to our friend, who took it and inhaled one and two tentative smoke before passing it over to me!!!-At that particular moment, I found myself in a state of total confusion; Trapped and unable to go back-“a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do, when he has to do it” (Seeking a source of courage) I felt trapped out of my own volition.

Consequently, Lo! Like the biblical Adam, I tasted “the prohibited GRASS” and Lo! Again, my eyes opened and, I began to hear and see my inner self, my entire environment more clearly. There was dancing and singing in my mind, in my heart, I felt the sensation of floating- like an astronaut caught in a long moon walk.

I was plainly invaded by the sensation of pleasure, euphoria intermixed with fear (remembering common rumours over one going mad or crazy after smoking cannabis’) suddenly, my mind went blank but somehow, still conscious and managed to stay in control; my heart went bam! Bam!! Bam!!! My knees were already beginning to buckle in anticipation of the impending disaster about to overwhelm me any second- my blood was racing through my veins and arteries at a maximum speed.

Bubbles of perspiration were oozing silently out of my armpit, neck and of course, my “private part” also. I braced myself and waited, pretending not being perturbed. Countless minutes ticked by before I started to grasp the usual equilibrium of my ‘Whole-Being’ once again.

At this stage, my initial fear was instantly transformed into pure euphoria- embarrassingly, I found my good-self laughing with spasm over some insignificant matters; people and things seemed to be prettier and more beautiful than they truly were, food smelt and tasted special, even water was tasteful and invigorating.

As long as the effect of the cannabis lasted, the entire cosmic microcosm appeared more beautiful and wonderful than usual. ‘This temporary sensation of greatness and security’ can safely be related to the popular phrase referred to as “living in a fool’s paradise”- I simply was full of enthusiasm; unusually talkative and cheerful.

After a short while, in between that extraordinary sensation of mightiness and beauty, I suddenly became reflective or in a state of sobriety- All the beauty in people and in things, all the great appetite for food and drink, every good feeling seemed to evaporate into the thin-air leaving behind- the usual ugliness of people and in most things- In order to escape this reality dawning on me, my mind started contemplating a second trip perhaps, again and again; “so do the cookies crumble”

Conclusively, there are so many different types of illegal drugs or narcotics such as: heroine, cocaine, amphetamine, ecstasy etcetera. Notwithstanding, the existence of the above drugs unto themselves do not constitute a social problem. What is rather a social problem is- That aspect of man with the proclivity to go to extreme or better phrased- to over indulge and abuse things. That is where our problem lies and not in don-drug.

This is to say that, the use of drugs as in the use of any other thing ranging from the food we consume, wrongly applied, or abused could constitute more or less a certain level of discomfort. Man as a matter of fact has always had diverse problems with his- intimate emotions, the food he eats, the water he drinks, the wine he drinks, the air he breathes, the child he fathers etcetera.         

Putting into perspective all of the above, it will therefore be rightly said that; everything we do, eat or feel should be balanced based on our respective ability to control and moderate those things to yield  us a positive result. So also, the use of any kind of drug, as hard as it may feel- is very controllable. It all boils down to the question of ‘THE CONDITION OF THE MENTAL ATTITUDE OF THE BEARER’,  

Having said that, my advice for youths will be- take drugs to discover for yourselves that drug do not hold a solution to your respective problems and heart’s desires, see it like any other source of temporary fun to pass away time among peers and friends and not as something you really need to survive, or live on such as food and air.

This goes a long way to echo the words of Shakespeare –who said that “our problems are not in our stars but in ourselves”