An officer from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has ignited public debate after a viral video showed him advising Nigerian youth to opt for cannabis (Igbo) over crystal methamphetamine (Ice), arguing that the latter is far more dangerous.
The officer, whose name was not specified in the clip, was seen addressing a group of young people, about the dangers of drug abuse, especially the consumption of Ice.
While stating that none of the substances are healthy for human consumption, the officer made a comparison between the two, based on the potential for recovery.
Though none of them is good, I don’t support any of them, but Ice is more deadly than Igbo. I will advise you to take Igbo rather than taking ice. If you smoke weed and go mad, you can be treated, but if you take ice and go mad, there’s no remedy
Click HERE to watch the video
The officer’s statement draws attention to the terrifying reality of crystal methamphetamine, known by its street name, “Ice”. This substance is a highly addictive hard drug known for causing severe mental, neurological, and physical damage, leading to paranoia, violent behaviour, psychosis, and body deterioration. It is classified as a hard drug with life-threatening long-term effects, unlike cannabis.
Some social media users viewed the officer as a honest father figure who was being genuine about the danger of the two substances.
Many Nigerians criticized the comparison itself, arguing that a drug enforcement officer should focus on promoting complete abstinence rather than ranking illicit substances.
Other commenters reinforced that the NDLEA should strengthen drug awareness campaigns to discourage drug abuse entirely, rather than risking the perception that cannabis consumption is a lesser evil.
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