Awo-Omamma Psychosocial Outreach
On Thursday, 20th November 2025, Cope and Live Mental Health Awareness Foundation organized a Psychosocial Outreach on Substance Abuse Prevention for secondary school students at Technical Secondary School, Awo-Omamma, Oru East LGA, Imo State, facilitated by the Imo State Program Manager, Mrs Chinwendu Obileme.
Over 50 students actively participated in the interactive session, openly shared personal concerns, asked insightful questions, and several pledged to become anti-drug ambassadors among their peers, while teachers commended the program’s relevance and requested follow-up visits. The outreach empowered the students with knowledge to resist peer pressure, reduced their risk of substance experimentation, and improved their mental health literacy; equipped families with information that sparked vital conversations and prevented future crises; contributed to a safer, drug-free Awo-Omamma community by curbing substance-related cultism, crime, and violence while strengthening school-community partnerships; and advanced Nigeria’s drug demand reduction efforts, protected the nation’s human capital, aligned with SDG 3.5, and delivered a cost-effective public health intervention that will save billions in future treatment and law-enforcement costs.
Key Topics Covered
Definition of substance abuse and the difference between use, misuse, and dependence
Commonly abused substances in Imo State and Nigeria (alcohol, cannabis, tramadol, codeine syrup/“lean”, methamphetamine/“mkpurummiri”, heroin, synthetic cannabinoids, inhalants, etc.)
Causes and risk factors (peer pressure, academic stress, family history, trauma, curiosity, easy availability, lack of accurate information)
Short- and long-term effects on the brain, body, academics, family, and future aspirations
Practical refusal skills and where to seek help
International Relevance
This outreach exemplifies the kind of evidence-based, school-focused prevention programme recommended by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and World Health Organization (WHO) International Standards on Drug Use Prevention. By reaching students in a rural Imo community, Cope and Live Mental Health Awareness Foundation is adding a Nigerian success story to the global evidence base, demonstrating that high-impact, low-cost prevention is possible even in resource-limited settings. The model is replicable across Africa and the Global South where youth substance abuse is rising rapidly.
Cope and Live Mental Health Awareness Foundation remains committed to taking this life-saving message to every secondary school in Imo State and beyond—because every student reached today is a family protected, a community strengthened, and a nation secured tomorrow.
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