League for Societal Protection Against Drug Abuse - LESPADA

01/11/2025

01/11/2025

FACT 💯

22/10/2025

FENTANYL

*Highlights*

* Fentanyl is an opioid drug, like morphine or he**in. It is made entirely in laboratories, with no natural ingredients. Although it is approved as a prescription pain medicine, most of the fentanyl contributing to the current overdose crisis is made illegally.

* Fentanyl is more potent (powerful) than many other opioid drugs. Even a small amount can cause a fatal overdose. That can even happen when a person takes fentanyl without knowing it, if it was added to counterfeit prescription pills or other illegal drugs. Using fentanyl test strips can reduce the risk of using drugs that contain fentanyl.

* Fentanyl is addictive. Like other opioids, repeated use causes changes in brain activity that cause people to continue using it even when they experience harmful effects.

Culled from NIDA

19/09/2025

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU DISCOVER YOUR CHILD IS USING DRUGS!

1. STAY CALM – Reacting with anger or panic can push them further away.

2. OPEN COMMUNICATION– Talk to them with empathy and without judgment.

3. SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP– Reach out to counselors or addiction specialists.

4. ASSESS THE SITUATION – Understand what substance they’re using and how often.

5. CREATE A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT– Let them know they’re not alone.

6. SET BOUNDARIES– Be firm but loving. Consistency is key.

7. GET INVOLVED – Monitor their friends, routines, and online activity.

8. ENCOURAGE POSITIVE ALTERNATIVES – Hobbies, mentorship, sports, and faith-based programs can help.

9. DON'T HIDE IT – Silence empowers the problem. Speak out and seek support.

10. CONNECT WITH US AT LESPADA – We’re here to help.

REMEMBER THAT DRUG ABUSE CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE. THEREFORE, EARLY ACTION CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING.

DON’tT WAIT!!

19/07/2025

Join us as we empower, educate and eradicate drug abuse — one community at a time.
Together, we can build a safer, healthier future.

19/07/2025

Kush is a type of illicit drug, commonly referring to a synthetic or chemically enhanced version of cannabis (ma*****na). It's often sprayed with dangerous substances like chemicals, opioids, or other intoxicants to increase its potency.

- It may smell or look like regular ma*****na but is much more dangerous.
- It can cause hallucinations, aggression, mental illness or even death.
- In places like Kano and other parts of Nigeria, Kush has become a serious problem among youth, contributing to drug addiction, phone snatching, violence, and insecurity.

12/07/2025

Can Mental Health lead to Psychosis?

05/06/2025

⚠️ BE WARNED OF THE DANGERS OF XYLAZINE

Widespread reports of Xylazine/Kroc is being mixed into fentanyl.
Xylazine and fentanyl drug mixtures place users at a higher risk of suffering a fatal drug poisoning. Because xylazine is not an opioid, naloxone (Narcan) does not reverse its effects. Still, experts always recommend administering naloxone if someone might be suffering from drug poisoning. People who inject drug mixtures containing xylazine also can develop severe wounds, including necrosis—the rotting of human tissue—that may lead to amputation.
---DEA

Xylazine is a medicine given to animals to sedate them for surgery or relieve pain. Xylazine, sometimes known as tranq, is not approved for human use. However, xylazine is now being used as a recreational drug. Xylazine is often mixed with he**in, fentanyl and other opioids that are taken illegally.
---Mayor Clinic

29/05/2025

SMOKE IT OR EAT IT, CANNABIS IS BAD FOR YOUR HEART, NEW RESEARCH SHOWS.

A new study from the University of California, San Francisco, has a sobering message for regular cannabis users: Whether you smoke it or prefer edibles, chronic use is bad for your heart.
The findings, published Wednesday in JAMA Cardiology, suggest that long-term ma*****na use can seriously impact your blood vessels in a way that’s similar to to***co.
Researchers found that people who regularly used cannabis, regardless of how they consumed it, had roughly half the blood vessel function compared to non-users. Reduced vascular function is linked to an increased risk of heart attacks and high blood pressure.

The study brought together 55 seemingly healthy individuals between late 2021 and mid-2024. All participants were regular cannabis users, either smoking ma*****na or consuming THC-infused edibles at least three times a week for at least a year.
None of them used ni****ne.

Beyond the decreased blood vessel function, researchers found that ma*****na smokers also showed changes in their blood that could damage the cells lining blood vessels. Those who primarily used edibles, however, didn’t show these same changes.

Exactly how THC, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis, harms blood vessels isn’t fully known. But the UCSF team suggests that THC in edibles must be doing its damage through a different method than smoked ma*****na.
“This study enhances the understanding of the potential risks to vascular health linked to cannabis use and provides more evidence that cannabis use is not benign,” the researchers concluded.