Rotary Club, NDLEA mark World Mental Health Day with students
Rotary Club of Akure, in partnership with National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), organized a sensitization program for secondary school students on drug abuse and mental health rights on October 10, 2023, to mark the World Mental Health Day.
The event, which took place at Oyemekun Grammar School hall, Akure, was themed “Mental health is a universal right” and was attended by students of Oyemekun Grammar School, St. Dominics High School and St. Thomas Acquinas College.
The President of Rotary Club of Akure, Mrs Idiat Olamide Ibrahim, said that the event was aimed at addressing the high rate of drug abuse and suicide among the youths.
She said, “The best thing is to begin the sensitization from the roots, which was why the secondary school students were sensitized, so that they will know what drug abuse is, as well as the effects.”
She also urged the teachers, parents and guardians to pay more attention to the students and monitor them well.
She added that drug abuse could lead to mental health problems and affect their academic performance and future prospects.
The Deputy State Commander of NDLEA, Ondo State Command, Mrs Jeyious Yetunde, who was represented by Assistant Superintendent of Narcotic, Mrs Yemisi Balogun, explained how drug abuse could damage the brain and affect one’s mental health.
She advised the students not to experiment with drugs and to take their mental health seriously. She said that anyone who was addicted to drugs could still recover through rehabilitation.
She said, “We can only be well and have a mental health stability when we desist from taking substance abuse that can damage the brain.”
Dr. Sunday Sajo, a Consultant Psychiatrist with Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Akure, also spoke at the event. He said that mental health was the key to a productive and fruitful life. He said that people who had mental health issues could do well and achieve their potentials if they accessed good care.
He said that mental illness was treatable and that everyone should have the right to accessible mental health care.
He said, “It is very vital to our overall health and well being.”
Miss Olamide Okeowo, another speaker at the event, said that drug abuse was dangerous to one’s health and could lead to mood disorder, anxiety and depression.
She said that mental fitness increased productivity and self-esteem.
She gave the students some tips on how to take care of their mental health, such as:
Maintain a good lifestyle
Engage in exercise
Take rest when needed
Open up to people they can trust
Treat themselves with kindness
Some of the students who participated in the program expressed their appreciation and gratitude to Rotary Club of Akure and NDLEA for their initiative.
They said that they learned a lot from the lecture and that they would share it with their fellow students.
The event also featured some cultural performances and quiz competitions among the students.
The winners were presented with prizes and certificates by the organizers.
