Nigeria Drugs Crisis Meth (Mkpuru Mmiri): The New Scourge in South-East Nigeria

Recent newspaper reports and images circulating in social media indicate increasing and abusive consumption of a psychotropic substance called methamphetamine, locally known as mkpuru mmiri (hailstones), in South-East Nigeria.

In reaction to the damaging impacts of mkpuru mmiri, several communities in the South East have resorted to self-help measures in solving the problem. Unfortunately, the common approach is tying arrested drug users on the stake for severe flogging. Thus, a few issues arise from this menace of abuse of mkpuru mmiri, namely, gaps in the control of access to certain drugs, gaps in awareness about drug use and issues of human rights and governance.

This edition of Nextier SPD Policy Weekly focuses on the rising abuse of methamphetamine in the South East, the current responses and their setbacks, and the general challenges of drug use control and governance.

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