Pharmacists have warned that Nigerian youths are increasingly turning to unconventional and readily available substances, from codeine and tramadol to toilet inhalers and frogs, creating a new public health threat that existing laws are struggling to contain.
The warning was issued by Dr. Suleiman Chiroma during the keynote address at the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (AHAPN) Abuja Branch, capacity building workshop to mark the 2026 World Anti-Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking Day in Abuja.
The event, held under the theme “World Drugs Problem: Persisting Issues, New Challenges, New Innovative Responses”, focused on emerging patterns of abuse in the country.
Chiroma told pharmacists that while codeine, tramadol and other opioids remain a major concern, a growing problem is the abuse of substances that are free, unregulated and culturally dismissed as harmless.
He cited the use of inhalants from toilets, lizard lungs, and frogs, which he said contain substances classified in the same category as LSD and psilocybin.
“Do you buy frog? Do you buy toilet inhaler? No. You get free inhaler in the toilet. You don’t need to buy anything. So it’s encouraging them.
“For example, you just go out in the evening, you will see a frog jumping everywhere. Just catch one and leave. It’s free of charge. Have you ever seen NDLEA going around looking for people who are catching frogs? You will not see them,” ” he said.
The expert added that the absence of enforcement around such substances makes them difficult to control, unlike regulated pharmaceuticals that fall under NDLEA and Pharmacists Council of Nigeria oversight.
Chiroma also raised alarm over the abuse of conventional medicines, noting that Nigeria has 14.3 million people aged 15 to 64 who used drugs in the past year, with 7 million on opiates and 10.6 percent using cannabis.
He said rising opioid use, codeine, tramadol, self-medication, and stigma around treatment are fueling the crisis.
The keynote speaker linked the trend to new synthetic and designer drugs that have no medical use and are constantly evolving in laboratories.
He said by the time legislation catches up with one substance, new ones emerge, leaving government behind.
He added that these drugs have unpredictable toxicity because their chemical compounds have not been studied, making overdose and long-term harm difficult to predict.
Chiroma urged pharmacists to see themselves as the last checkpoint before drugs reach families and communities.
He said members must enforce drug regulations, secure poison cupboards, and avoid dispensing controlled substances for profit.
He concluded that without new innovative responses to match these unconventional patterns of abuse, the drug problem in Nigeria will continue to outpace current interventions.
Opening the workshop, AHAPN Abuja Branch Chairman, Pharm. Hafsat Ahmed Abdullahi, said the association began the commemoration with sensitisation of SS1 and SS2 students of Government Secondary School, on the dangers of drug abuse, prevention and treatment.
She said the capacity building session was meant to equip pharmacists to better handle drug abuse victims and manage the menace in society.
Also speaking at the event, Director of Food and Drugs at the Federal Ministry of Health, Adeola Olufowobi-Yusuf, the chairman of the occasion, Jelili Kelani, and Air Commodore David M. Babalola, a senior pharmacist and officer in the Nigerian Air Force, cautioned parents to monitor their children closely to detect early signs of drug use.
The event included a fundraiser for the purchase of an 18-seater bus for the branch and a panel discussion on Addressing emerging drug abuse trend in Nigeria: The role of healthcare professionals, regulators and law enforcement agencies.
