The Senate also canvassed a national summit on the state of drugs and narcotics abuse in the country.
The Senate on Tuesday expressed worries over the high rate of hard drugs and narcotics consumption in the country.
The upper chamber consequently resolved to approach the federal government to declare a state of emergency on the high rate of drug abuse in the country.
The Senate also directed its committee on National Agency for Administration Control (NAFDAC), Drugs and Narcotics to liaise with relevant government agencies to organise a national summit on the state of drugs and narcotics abuse in the country.
The resolutions followed a motion sponsored by Babangida Hussaini (APC, Jigawa North-west) at the plenary.
Mr Hussaini, while presenting the motion said the increasing number of deaths caused by excessive intake of hard drugs and narcotics was disturbing.
He identified some of the deadly substances such as 'Kurkura' commonly used by people in the North and 'Umkpromiri' common in the South."
He also called for the inclusion of drug education as a compulsory subject in Nigeria basic education.
Mr Hussain expressed worry that "the war against drug abuse carried out by the NDLEA and other relevant institutions of both state and federal governments is not providing the required result, hence the need to include special drug education as a compulsory subject in the Nigerian basic education."
He argued that, if the government failed to find a lasting solution to the menace, the consequence will continue to affect the development of the country.
He said the consequences of drug abuse would "continue to endanger our national development, public safety and family system if urgent action is not taken to strengthen existing legal, policy and institutional frameworks to face the challenges with all sense of responsibility."
Debate
In his contribution to the motion, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, expressed worries over the increase of drug abuse among Nigerian youths.
Mr Akpabio said some drill holes on soakaway pits and sniff the vapour to get high.
He therefore called on Nigerian parents to "always check their soakways to ensure that there are no holes."
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The Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who also contributed to the motion, complained that celebrities and politicians who ought to be role models for youths are also into drug abuse
"This scourge is everywhere, even celebrities who are supposed to be role models, be exemplary and show the way for others to follow are also into it. Politicians alike and indeed, all spheres of our life.
"The NDLEA is doing very well but the motion is a wake-up call for all those that have the responsibility for making sure that we deal with this matter to wake up and make sure that they do the needful in getting this matter dealt with properly," he said.
Mr Jibrin said there is a need to include the issue of drug abuse in the nation's school curriculum as a way of curtailing the menace.
He said "We must include this phenomenon in our school curriculum to begin to teach our children from the primary school level, the negative effects of drug abuse. Elsewhere, like in the United States, there are courses even in the universities that deal with abuse. We need to put that on the front burner in our higher institutions so that people will be aware of the harmful effects of drug abuse.
"It is a sad commentary on the way things are done in this country. Human capital is what drives a good economy and we have an abundance of population but we are allowing it to get destroyed through the intake of illicit drugs. We must all join hands and work together to make sure we deal with the menace of drug abuse."
The senators voted in support of the motion when it was put to vote by the senate president.
