The Victor & Lois Abraham Foundation has launched a renewed campaign against substance abuse with the theme, “Don’t Be Influenced, Stay Out of the Radar; Learn How to Say No to Drugs and Live a Drug-Free Life.”

The event, which has been designated as the foundation’s International Day Against Drug Abuse programme, is scheduled to take place on July 4 at the Foursquare Gospel Church, Egbe District, H/Quarters, in the Ikotun area of Lagos State. It is expected to attract teenagers, young adults and parents from diverse communities.

The initiative is aimed at reducing drug abuse through education, awareness seminars and direct outreach in high-risk areas, including ghettos and drug dens popularly known as “jungles.”

Founder of the foundation, Victor Abraham, said his mission is deeply rooted in his personal experience with drug addiction and recovery.

According to him, he began experimenting with drugs at the age of eight after being influenced by the son of a family friend. By his teenage years, he had progressed to several substances, including marijuana, cocaine, cigarettes and alcohol, while also becoming involved in a destructive lifestyle.

Abraham recalled that around the ages of 15 and 16, he experimented with cocaine, noting that the drug was easily accessible and affordable through local street networks.

He said his addiction led to devastating consequences, including the loss of several friends to drug-related illnesses and street violence.

“I saw people die from addiction-related diseases, including tuberculosis, and others lost their lives on the streets. Those experiences strengthened my resolve to help others avoid the same path,” he said.

The foundation’s founder revealed that a major turning point came in 1986 when, at the age of 21, he decided to abandon his lifestyle of drug abuse and nightlife.

He said he surrendered his life to Christ at an Assemblies of God Church near Labinjo Street, Mushin, an experience he described as the beginning of his transformation and eventual commitment to counselling and community outreach.

For four decades, Abraham said he has been reaching out to drug users in ghettos and “wood jungles,” using his own experiences to connect with people struggling with addiction.

He warned that the first use of drugs often creates a powerful psychological pull that makes it easy to become addicted and extremely difficult to quit.

Using metaphors such as “Satan’s candy” and the “forbidden fruit,” he urged young people to resist peer pressure and avoid experimenting with illicit substances.

Abraham also highlighted the challenges facing anti-drug advocacy efforts, including inadequate funding, distrust from communities that fear police or Criminal Investigation Department involvement, raids by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the high cost of rehabilitation and the difficulties associated with relapse.

He further warned about the increasing circulation of fake and dangerous substances, stressing that successful interventions must be built on trust, persistence and lived experience.

The foundation reiterated its commitment to promoting drug-free lifestyles and empowering young people with the knowledge and confidence to say no to drugs before addiction takes hold of them.

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