The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Albert Abongo, who made the call in Bolgatanga during the event, expressed concern about the upsurge of drug and alcohol addiction among the youth in the region.
Mr Abongo who is also the Member of Parliament for the Bongo Constituency, attributed the causes of the menace to the social cultural practices such as festivals, refreshment during communal labour, changing family structures, media advertisement and peer pressure.
“Drug abuse is one of the most serious health challenges in the world of which Ghana is no exemption. Besides damaging health, it has several side effects such as diseases, economic loss and anti-social behaviours such as stealing, violence and social stigma among others. We need a concerted effort to approach these issues to help the youth out of this menace “, the Minister stressed.
He said government alone cannot tackle the phenomenon and commended the Life out of Alcohol and Drugs, Ghana (LOAD), Basic Needs Ghana and the Paramount Chief of the Builsa Traditional area, Nab Azagsuk Azantilow, for complementing government ‘s effort at tackling the menace.
The Regional Minister explained that the earlier children begin to use drugs, the earlier they develop drug dependency later in life, and appealed to parents , guardians and opinion leaders to provide adequate care and attention for children in their respective communities to discourage them from engaging in drugs and alcoholic abuse.
Mr Abongo stated that Government was committed to addressing the issue and said, that explained why Government had put in place policies and laws against the abuse of alcohol and drug abuse.
He mentioned the Narcotic Drug Law 1990 (PNDC Law 236) which focuses on control, enforcement and the sanction on the use and trade illicit drugs as well as the Drug Policy Reforms which is aimed at dealing with drug production, use, trafficking and organized crime at the sub regional and the national level as some of the measures put in place to help deal with the issue.
The Paramount chief of the Builsa Traditional area, who chaired the function, stressed the need to make Ghana unattractive destination for drug trafficking and also impressed upon government to provide adequate centres to rehabilitate the youth who have become victims of drug abuse.
The event which was organized by LOAD Ghana with support from Regional Coordinating Council , Basic Needs Ghana and the Ghana Health Service , attracted people from all walks of life including the youth and school pupils and some security agencies .
It was preceded by route match in the Bolagtanga Municipality by the youth and school pupils including some security agencies.
The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is a day set aside by the United Nations General Assembly to serve us a reminder of the goals agreed by member states of creating international society free of drug
By Samuel Adadi Akapule, Bolgatanga
