The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has raised the alarm that abuse of drugs are on the increase among school pupils in Anambra State.

It therefore calls for the collaboration of education authorities in the state to fight the scourge.

Commander of the agency in the state, Mr Sule Momodu, said this at the second award presentation to winners of the Lady Victoria Chito /NDLEA annual quiz competition in Awka on Tuesday.

He said with the collaboration of education authorities in its enlightenment campaign, the trend would reduce.

The commander added that the quiz competition among the post primary school students in the state was aimed at helping them to understand better the danger of drug abuse.

Momodu stated that the agency had started enlightenment programme on some radio and television stations in the state to fight the challenges of drug abuse by the youths.

He said the agency had also given out 120,000 copies of book to schools on drug abuse to discourage the pupils from getting involved in the act.

He regretted that the participation of schools in the quiz competition was poor, pointing out that only 70 out of about 300 secondary schools in the state, took part in the competition.

Momodu commended Governor Willie Obiano’s support to the security agencies in the state, especially to the NDLEA, which he said had helped in crime reduction in the state.

Commissioner for Health, Dr Jeo Akaabuike, who represented the state governor, commended the agency for the improved battle against illicit drug in the state.

He urged the students to make good use of the opportunity afforded them by the competition to better their lives and society, while also commending the co-sponsor of the event, Chief Alex Onyido, who also had engaged about 1,800 workers in his company.

He said that unemployment in the country was the greatest problem causing drug abuse, adding that the state government was already working hard to ameliorate the problem.

St. Charles College, Onitsha, emerged the winners of the competition; Anglican Girls’ Secondary School, Ogidi, came second best and Ide Secondary School, Enugwwu-Ukwu was third.

Three students of the winning school got a laptop, trophy, gold medal, textbook and N20,000 cash each; the pupils of the first runner-up received television sets, school bags, silver medal and N20,000 each.