Recent wide-spread abuse of hard drugs and its negative implications in Lagos have become a serious source of concern in the metropolis.

THREE men were seated at the wooden bench provided by the road-side petty trader near the under-bridge at Airport Bus Stop, Lagos when a young fellow sauntered in with a lighted stick of marijuana in his right hand. He blew the marijuana smoke at this reporter's face and immediately apologised.

Sporting a T-shirt with red and white stripes, a blue pair of jeans trousers with a cap to match, he drew another lungful of marijuana smoke and requested for a glass of paraga, (a locally brewed gin mixed with roots and herbs) from the petty trader. While he smoked and drank, with his right hand, his left palm clutched a thick sheaf of naira notes of various low denominations. He puffed the marijuana few more times and threw away what could pass for the butt of the weed which was wrapped like a cigarette. Within a jiffy he dashed back to the nearby bus stop.

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