Group launches anti-drugs campaign

Due to the prevalence of drug use among young persons within the Ashaiman municipality, a youth group there has embarked on a mission to fight the menace to drastically bring down addictions by the end of 2016.

The group, the Federation of Ashaiman Youth, said it had declared 2016 a year of “zero tolerance for substance abuse” and had lined up a number of activities to meet the target.

The federation’s General Secretary, Memunatu Labaran Barry, made this known on a special edition of Ghana Yensom from the Ashaiman Lorry Station on Friday August 26.

“Currently, we want to bring down cases of substance abuse by youth; it’s one thing that is ruining lives here,” Ms Barry told show host Chief Jerry Forson.

According to her, her group had held its first programme for the year in its drive to kick out substance abuse with the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for Ashaiman, Henry Ernest Norgbey, donating GHS4000, in addition to cash support from the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP nominee Alhaji Yakubu Labaran Barry.

The group has also lined up several sensitisation programmes from September 28 to 30 on substance abuse, which will include visits to ghettos to preach about the dangers of narcotic use. Those who wish to get ‘clean’, she added, would be taken to rehabilitation centres to help in their recovery.

The federation said though it accepts the reality that it cannot get all addicts to overcome their demons, they aim to drastically get most of them hooked on drugs to kick the habit.

Ms Barry also commended the Ashaiman police for their role in the fight against illicit drug use in the community, warning that drug addiction held devastating consequences for the individual, his community, and the nation at large.