The Ogun State Government has cautioned young people to avoid the dangerous drug practice known as bluetoothing.
Dr Kehinde Fatungase, Executive Secretary of the Ogun State Agency for the Control of AIDS, raised the alarm in a statement issued in Abeokuta on Thursday. He explained that the practice involves people injecting themselves with the blood of someone who has just used hard drugs, under the false belief that they can “share the high.”
Fatungase described bluetoothing as extremely lethal, warning that it exposes participants to HIV, Hepatitis B and C, severe blood infections, life-threatening complications, and overdose.
He said: “In Ogun State, we are committed to protecting our youths. If you or someone you know is struggling with drug use, help is available at our Key Population One Stop Shop (KPOSS) facility at 4 Kemta Idi Aba, Abeokuta. We offer treatment and counselling services. We urge our youths to choose life, choose health, choose the future, say no to bluetoothing, and encourage friends to stay safe. Together, we can prevent HIV and safeguard the next generation.”
Bluetoothing, also called “flashblood” in some countries, has been reported in places like South Africa, Tanzania, and Fiji, where health officials link it to surges in HIV and other infections.
To tackle the threat, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, working with community groups and the Pyrates Confraternity, recently organised more than 125 awareness campaigns in schools, religious centres, and communities, reaching over 30,000 people.
The Ogun State Ministry of Sports Development has also teamed up with youth-led organisations such as the Drug Free Project to use sports activities as a platform for sensitisation and rehabilitation.
