Medical officer warns of drug abuse and occultism

Accra, Sept. 29, GNA - Dr (Mrs) Maude Engmann, a retired health practitioner and member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, on Wednesday, cautioned the nation about the powerful and dreadful situation of drug abuse which is linked with occultism to commit crime. She said the youth had become very vulnerable to the smilingly attractive drug abuse and occultism and were being drawn to their doom by unsuspecting persons who cleverly weaved their ways into their lives through various offerings. Dr Engmann who was addressing members of the Civil and Local Government Staff Association Ladies Club (CLOGSALAC) at their quarterly meeting in Accra, said Ghana had not done much to curtail the heinous drug trade, which had the potential of destroying a large number of the youth if nothing was done. "The task ahead is enormous and requires great collaboration and commitment from all sectors of the country to save this generation of youth from blindly embarking on a journey that could spell doom for the entire country," she said.

The workshop, which was on the theme: "Drug Abuse and its Effects on our Youth," served as a platform for discussion on the enormous challenge that awaited the nation if nothing was done to arrest the situation.

Dr Engman said the youth were at great risk as they had been perceived to be the main target of powerful drug barons, both local and international, who currently view Ghana not only as a transit point, but also as fertile grounds for their operations. She stated about 90 per cent of cases reported at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital annually were drug-related and required urgent attention.

She noted that most of the patients were in their youthful ages and therefore the situation led not only to a financial drain on the family and state coffers, but also retarded national development. Dr Engmann challenged parents to be with their children, engaging them in educational conversations to ascertain their level of knowledge on the issue and also listen to them for feed backs.

Dr Engmann blamed the trend on parents who neglect their duties as guardians with the desire to chase wealth, leaving their vulnerable children at the mercy of such criminals. "We must recount trends of student violence in various educational institutions, in marriages where spousal killings have been reported, as well as the numerous road accidents that had claimed hundreds of lives and try to see if these were not linked in any way to drug abuses," she said.

Dr Engmann noted that most commercial lorry parks house countless drinking bars where various concoctions could be purchased and also serve as fertile grounds for drugs peddlers to operate from. She called for political commitment towards the fight against drug trafficking and appealed to the security agencies to be vigilant and eschew temptations of bribes from drug barons.

The Reverend Tetteh Djangmah, Senior Pastor, True Vine Charismatic Church, who spoke on the topic: "Practicing of Occultism and its Related Impact on our Youth," linked drug abuse to occultism. He mentioned instances where some drug peddlers had sought occultist powers to enable them to outwit security posts, to be rich overnight or to fortify themselves for the purposes of armed robbery. Rev Djangmah cautioned that if nothing is done about the problem, the entire generation of youth could be lost to such selfish desire of the demonic spell.

He urged parents to engage their children in daily devotions and teach them about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 29 Sept. 10