VVIP fights drug abuse

VVIP will soon embark on a nationwide campaign dubbed ‘Stop Drug & Substance Abuse’, which is aimed at changing the lives of the youth in Ghana through arts.

The project, according to the group, is a social awareness campaign to educate youth on the dangers of drug and substance abuse.

Preparations are underway to launch the campaign in Accra very soon, the group mentioned.

“We will be launching a serious campaign against this drug use. If not, our children will be destroying their lives. We won’t sit aloof for this to continue,” Reggie Rockstone, a member of the group, told Andy Dosty on Hitz FM in an interview last Friday.

He stated that drug use has been a very critical issue in the country, especially among showbiz personalities. However, in Ghana, the fight has mostly been targeted at marijuana and other hard drugs.

Reggie Rockstone explained that apart from marijuana, there are other common drugs that are being abused by the younger generation, a situation he described as a threat to the society.

He stressed that the youth’s gradually abuse of drugs such as codeine syrup and methadone, which is really getting out of hand motivated the members of his group to embark on the campaign.

“The young ones have suddenly taken to the use of drugs like codeine, benylin, meth, tramadol and the like. They mix with other dangerous drugs and it is something that bothers me,” he emphasized.

Reggie Rockstone, however, advised the youth to desist from the use of drugs, which can be harmful to their health.

The hiplife group which has plans of engaging several stakeholders, including health professionals, to help them in the awareness campaign would also partner with some renowned local artistes who believe in the cause to perform at the campaign concerts.

According to the group, investigations conducted by the Narcotic Control Board (NACOB) have revealed that over 50,000 people in the country, particularly the youth, are abusing drugs.