NACOB destroys narcotic drugs, warning against abuse and illicit trafficking

The Narcotic Control Board (NACOB) on Wednesday destroyed 8 tones impounded drugs worth more than one million cedis as Ghana joins the world in commemorating the International Day against Drug Abuse and illicit trafficking.

The drugs destroyed included cannabis, karts and some tramadol accosted from people at the entry and exit points of the nation especially from the ports mostly as traffickers tried to transit them through Ghana to other countries.

The exercise, which was carried out in Bundanse, near Military training Camp was witnessed by other stakeholders including representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Ghana Standards Authority, the Registrar of the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court Judges Special Assistant, Bureau of National Investigations, National Security, the Ghana Police Service and the media.

The Board had, therefore, cautioned the public to desist from the abuse of drugs and illicit trafficking or any form of activity that seeks to promote it.

Mr Micheal Addo, the Deputy Executive Secretary of NACOB in an interview during the destruction process said the exercise was carried out on the day to create the awareness that the country's laws frowned on any activity seeking to promote the proliferation of drug abuse.

Mr Addo said it was significant for the citizenry to recognize that the drugs had consistently done more evil than good to the country, hence, the need to exercise every form restrained in the quest to engage in the business.

He urged parents to help deactivate the interest of young people from attempting to abuse drugs especially parents who have wards in the second cycle institutions to ensure that they adequately prepared enough 'shito' for their wards because most young people had been initiated into the drug abuse menace through it.

He said: “These days, people are using it for so many things. The students are using it for ‘shito’ when they are going to school so parents prepare the shito yourselves, otherwise, they will go and get intoxicated with ‘shito’ lased with cannabis.”

Mr Addo said although a section of the public had been calling for a law to freely use cannabis, the Board was only operating under the ambit of the law and hence, any change ought to be decided by Ghanaians through law.

He said: “Our laws, the PNDC Law 236 says that if you are in possession of these narcotic drugs without permission from the Minister of Health, you’ve gone against the law and you must be arrested, prosecuted, and jailed upon which the drugs are destroyed.”

He said the Board would continue to educate the public against drug abuse to ensure that the younger generation does not take to abusing drugs and engaging drug trafficking for better-developed society.