Every May 27, we wear bright clothes, dance at school parties, cut cakes, and sing praises to “the leaders of tomorrow.” But what happens when tomorrow’s leaders are busy chasing loud, popping molly, or sniffing codeine-laced syrup behind uncompleted buildings?
Children’s Day 2025 should be more than bouncing castles and overcooked rice. It’s time for a hard truth: Nigeria is losing its children—not to wars or famine, but to drugs. And no, this isn’t just about the “bad boys on the street.” We’re talking about students, choir members, children of senators, private school teens. Everyone.
Let’s expose the top 10 hard drugs silently ruining Nigerian youth while adults stay busy sweeping the issue under the red carpet of denial.
1. Codeine Syrup (aka “Lean” or “Purple Drank”)
Once a cough remedy, now a gateway to addiction.
Teens mix this with soft drinks to get high. It’s cheap, easy to find, and terrifyingly normalised in urban slangs and music.
Hear us clearly; “Codeine lifestyle” is not a vibe — it’s a funeral in slow motion.
2. Tramadol (aka “Tramol”, “TM”)
Originally meant to kill pain, it now kills ambitions, dreams, and sometimes lives.
Nigerian students pop Tramadol to study overnight or dance for hours, not realising they’re playing Russian roulette with their brains.
To make things worse, It’s sold over the counter like paracetamol.
3. Loud/Skunk (aka High-Grade Marijuana)
This isn’t your grandfather’s weed. “Loud” is potent, lab-grown, and twisted.
It causes hallucinations, addiction, and serious mental breakdowns, especially among teenagers who can barely handle algebra.
You wanted swag, but now you’re hearing voices.
4. Rohypnol (aka “Ref”, “Forget Me Pill”)
Marketed as a sleeping pill, now weaponised for rape, robbery, and teenage misadventure.
Students sneak it into school parties. It makes you sleepy, disoriented, and defenseless.
This pill has ruined more lives than it has cured.
5. Methamphetamine (aka “Mkpurummiri”)
Yes, it’s here. Once a Southeast problem, mkpurummiri (water crystal) is now quietly infecting Lagos, Abuja, and beyond. One hit can destroy a child’s mental health permanently.
Don’t blame your village people when your child goes from class prefect to street wanderer in 3 weeks.
6. Colorado (aka “Colos”)
You must have heard “On Colos, On Colos” before now. Yes, that’s the stuff we are talking about.
A synthetic cannabinoid that is 100 times stronger than weed.
It causes erratic behavior, fainting spells, and even sudden deaths. Many viral “madness” videos on social media? Blame Colos.
Not everything trending online is a joke. Some are obituaries-in-progress.
7. Refnol And Alcohol Mix (aka “Rochy”)
Why settle for one high when you can mix them all? That’s the logic behind Rochy—a deadly cocktail of refnol and cheap liquor.
The result? Blackouts, hospital runs, and addiction.
Drink responsibly? These kids don’t even know what they’re drinking.
8. Shisha (Laced With Narcotics)
Shisha lounges are now addiction playgrounds.
Most underage users think they’re smoking harmless flavors, but many shisha pipes are laced with heroin or meth to keep customers hooked.
What starts as “vibes” ends in rehab or worse.
9. Cigarettes And Vapes (The Gateway Drugs)
Still think cigarettes are “old school”? Vaping has made nicotine cool again, and teens are inhaling all sorts of unknown chemical cocktails. Bubblegum flavor, depression aftertaste.
Also Read: 2025 Children’s Day: 10 Amazing Gift Ideas For Your Kids That’ll Make You The Coolest Parent Alive
It starts with clouds. Ends with cravings.
10. Glue And Rubber Solution (aka “Sokugo for the Streets”)
The cheapest drug on this list. Street kids sniff glue to escape hunger and cold. It’s not fancy, but it melts the brain just as fast as the imported stuff.
This is not just about addiction—it’s about how we’ve failed the most vulnerable.
We Are Raising The Next Generation Of Addicts — Silently
While parents fight over birthday party venues and school fees, Nigeria’s drug problem is brewing in the bedrooms, on TikTok, and right under our noses. Every child lost to addiction is a national tragedy wrapped in denial.
This Children’s Day, let’s do more than post cute pictures. Talk to your kids. Educate them. Monitor their behavior. Demand real policy changes. Call out entertainers glorifying drug use. Stop treating this as “not my child’s problem.”
Because once upon a time, every junkie was just a kid celebrating Children’s Day.
