Ogun State warns youths against bluetoothing, a risky drug trend exposing them to HIV, hepatitis, and severe health complications
Authorities in Ogun State have issued a firm warning to young people to avoid the dangerous drug practice known as bluetoothing, describing it as a life-threatening behaviour that places its users at extreme medical risk.
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The Executive Secretary of the Ogun State Agency for the Control of AIDS, Dr Kehinde Fatungase, said in a statement released in Abeokuta on Thursday that bluetoothing involves injecting oneself with the blood of another person who has just taken drugs, in the misguided belief that the “high” can be transferred.
He criticised the practice as reckless and deadly, stressing that it exposes participants to HIV, Hepatitis B and C, severe infections, and even fatal overdoses.
He noted that the surge in such activities undermines long-standing public health efforts to combat blood-borne diseases.
Fatungase reaffirmed the state’s commitment to protecting young people, urging anyone struggling with substance use to seek help at the Key Population One Stop Shop facility in Abeokuta, which provides treatment and counselling.
He added a powerful reminder that young people must “choose life, choose health, choose future” by rejecting bluetoothing and encouraging friends to do the same.
The alarming practice, also known globally as “flashblood,” has previously been reported in South Africa, Tanzania, and Fiji, where spikes in infections have raised health concerns.
Ogun officials say the state will not allow the perilous trend to take hold.
Recent collaborative campaigns by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, community groups, and the Pyrates Confraternity have reached more than 30,000 residents through sensitisation efforts across schools, worship centres, and local communities.
The Ogun State Ministry of Sports Development has also joined forces with youth-focused NGOs such as the Drug Free Project, using sport as an effective platform for prevention and rehabilitation.
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Health authorities insist that stopping bluetoothing before it spreads further is essential to safeguarding the next generation and preserving the progress made in reducing HIV transmission across the state.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
