saying it was set to raise awareness about negative effects of alcohol and drugs on safe driving. It said it would also implement the state’s traffic law which stipulates jail terms for motorists found to be
driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, stated this at a news conference on Motor Parks Health and
Safety Initiative, adding, however, that government would not relent in educating the drivers on dangers
associated with consumption of intoxicants. He said the government decided to do more in enlightening drivers at motor parks because a recent health
screening done by the government showed that a large number of them had challenges that could affect their
operations. He said, “We screened 2, 002 drivers and obtained the following results. 781 were found to be driving under
the influence of alcohol; 601 were found to be hypertensive; 441 were positive to psychotropic drugs,
especially cocaine and marijuana; 940 were screened for visual impairment; and 13 per cent had to be given
special glasses.” The commissioner said the result made the government to increase its enlightenment campaign and also
invoke section 21, subsection 1 of the state traffic law which prescribes on conviction a fine of N100, 000 or
two years imprisonment or both on offenders. He lamented that road accidents had become one of the major causes of deaths in the country. He pointed
out that the government could not achieve its desired health indices if it ignored the menace of deaths by
road accidents. Idris said the sensitisation campaign would be in partnership with Guinness Nigeria Plc. He added that the partnership was geared towards changing people’s attitude to alcohol to reduce its harmful
consequences. The Commissioner for Transport, Kayode Opeifa explained that government was focusing on motor parks to
make the awareness campaign effective because of its involvement in mass transportation of people.
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