The Ondo State Committee on Drug Control, on Monday, cautioned pregnant women on wrong use of drugs, saying that such act could be detrimental to their lives and babies.
The committee gave this advice while addressing pregnant women during a sensitisation programme on dangers of drug abuse at the Mother and Child Hospital, Akure.
The programme was sponsored by the state Ministry of Health and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The Speaker at the programme, Mrs. Taiwo Adeyemi, warned pregnant women to solely seek advice from medical personnel before taking any drug.
She said that ignorance and stress are sometimes responsible for drug abuse among pregnant women while urging them to desist from getting counsel from their friends on the use of drugs.
Adeyemi, a pharmacist, explained that wrong use of drugs could cause infections to pregnant women and their babies, saying that it could also damage vital organs in their bodies.
According to her, birth defects, miscarriage, psychological disorder, cardiac arrest, mental challenges can be caused by wrong use of drugs.
She added that virtually all forms of criminalities were attributed to the wrong use of drugs.
Adeyemi advised pregnant women to always take their medical complaints to health facilities, saying that there was need to protect the future of the country.
The Assistant Commander of Narcotics Drug Demand Reduction Unit of NDLEA, Ondo State Command, Mrs Yetunde Jeyitous, tasked pregnant women to walk away from friends or anything that could lure them into drug abuse.
Jeyitous asked them to keep themselves busy and have a determination of avoiding wrong use of drugs.
She added that the intake of wrong drugs would not bring about sane and productive society.