Drug addiction can destroy even the brightest futures, but recovery is possible with the right support and a willingness to seek help early.

That is the central message from Dr. Vincent Chinonso Ogbuogu, a medical doctor with the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu, who shared his personal experience with substance abuse while speaking as a panellist at the Anti Substance Abuse Programme (ASAP) Stakeholders' Conference held at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Enugu.

Ogbuogu disclosed that he became trapped in addiction shortly after graduating from university, while awaiting his housemanship, a struggle that lasted several years and nearly cost him his life. He recounted that the turning point came on November 16, 2021, when he suffered a near fatal overdose after mixing crack cocaine and heroin, a combination known on the streets as "Thailand."

"I mixed it and smoked it in my room. I almost passed out. What was acted out in the drama here today was exactly what happened to me. I lost myself completely," he recalled.

He stressed that addiction can take everything from a person, regardless of their background or potential. "There is nothing good that comes from drug abuse. It takes everything from you. It destroys your finances, career, health, and can eventually kill you," he said, noting that he had once been among the brightest students in his school before drugs changed the course of his life.

Ogbuogu argued that prevention starts with awareness, particularly among young people who may not recognise dangerous substances. "We should show them pictures of these drugs and teach them what they look like. I didn't know what cocaine was when someone first gave it to me. I took it, and that was how it started," he explained.

He called for increased investment in rehabilitation services, noting that many professionals turn to substances as a coping mechanism for stress, and that rehabilitation centres are filled with talented individuals capable of rebuilding their lives with proper support.

On stigma, Ogbuogu urged society to view addiction as a health issue rather than a moral failing. "People who use substances should not be judged. Substance use is a health issue. We must encourage those who have survived addiction to come out and share their stories so others can learn from their experiences," he said.

To those currently in recovery, he offered words of encouragement. "It may take only a day to get hooked on drugs, but it takes a lifetime to stay free from them," he said, adding that despite setbacks to dreams and finances, recovery remains possible. He urged them to take the chance life offers to make things right.