Acting UN Resident Coordinator and country Director for the UNESCO Cluster Office in Ghana, Mrs. Elizabeth Moundo (pictured here) addresses participants at the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking activities in Ghana
The Ghana Narcotics Control Board recently launched a year-long campaign to raise public awareness of the harmful effects of illicit drugs on the economic, social, political and cultural aspects of the country and its security.
The theme of the campaign is “Do Drugs Control Your Life?” The campaign’s activities include film screenings, painting and essay competitions among educational institutions, exhibitions, radio and TV discussions in the country’s major languages, and free distribution of literature on illicit drugs. The campaign is largely targeted toward high school juniors and seniors.
The programme was launched on 26 June 2009 with an opening address by the former Executive Secretary of the Ghana Narcotics Control Board, who urged youth to abstain from drugs, as it would destroy them and whatever ambitions they had in life. Rather, they should stay focused on their studies as that would enable them to realize their dreams.
The Mayor of Accra chaired the function and asked the Narcotics Control Board to visit all schools in the Accra metropolitan area with a message about the harmful effects of illicit drugs, hoping that in the not too distant future, Accra could be described as drug free. He suggested that the Board involve all youth organizations, social groups and churches in the country to spread the message on illicit drugs.
The Executive Secretary of the Ghana Narcotics Control Board and Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) noted that worldwide, it had been established that narcotic drugs were related to criminal activities which undermined the economic, political and social progress of a country. Prevalent illicit drug use in a country may, therefore, hamper a country’s development.
The Commissioner called on all stakeholders to pool their resources in an effort to fight the drug menace and to keep the country’s youth from being misled and lured into becoming drug traffickers, peddlers, or couriers.
He also called on the government to review the country’s Narcotics Law in an effort to make the Board more efficient and effective in depriving drug traffickers of their money and property, an act which would deter many from dealing drugs. Tribute was paid by the Commissioner to donors, international collaborators and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for working together to tackle the problem of illicit drugs.
The Chief Psychiatrist at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital pointed to some of the health and social problems associated with the use of narcotic drugs, including cancer, mental disorders, HIV/AIDS, reduced life spans, confusion, disharmony and the eventual break-up of homes, the high incidence of violent crimes associated with drug use, money laundering and the infiltration of drugs into the political structure and national security.
He said these did not bode well for the country’s development and commended the role the Ghana Narcotic Control Board was playing to minimize drug cases. At the same time, he suggested that the Board be made an independent commission not under any Ministry. This would enable it to raise the needed resources to perform its functions properly.
Also, the Chief Psychiatrist called for a comprehensive national drug policy that would determine who could possess, purchase and use narcotic drugs and under what circumstances, while prescribing sanctions for those who violated the policy. He also recommended the establishment of a national drug rehabilitation centre where drug addicts could go for treatment. He said that even though this was currently being done at the nation’s psychiatric hospitals, it was not the best solution, as addicts interpreted this to mean they were mentally ill and consequently often refused to go in for treatment.
The Chief Psychiatrist also asked for the establishment of a National Drug Abuse Centre where all information on drugs in the country, including medical and legal aspects and research findings could be readily available for citizens.
Furthermore, the doctor described tobacco and alcohol as ”gateway drugs” for narcotics, noting that without control of their consumption, the chances of winning the war against narcotic drugs were slim.
Another aspect of the programme’s launch included the reading of the United Nations Secretary-General’s message on the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking by the Acting UN Resident Coordinator, who also serves as the Country Director for the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization Cluster Office in Ghana.
Prizes were given by the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidency in Ghana to the top students in the painting and essay competitions. The Board also mounted a photo exhibition displaying some of the narcotic drugs, drug traffickers who have been arrested and bodies of drug traffickers from which drugs had been extracted after surgery.
Also on display were various domestic items drug traffickers used to conceal narcotic drugs in their efforts to outwit security agencies. These included shoes, wigs, cooking utensils, woven baskets, drums, furniture, and draught-boards.