LOAD marks 10th anniversary: Youth urged to desist from drug use
The Life out of Alcohol and Drugs (LOAD) Ghana, has marked its 10 years anniversary, with a call on Ghanaian youth to desist any temptation to indulge in drug use.
The organisation also encouraged the youth to fiercely channel their energy toward supporting the government to step up efforts to destroy the networks that participated in illegal drug trafficking.
Speaking at the forum organised in Bolgatanga, the Upper East Region capital, the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for LOAD Ghana, Mr Roger Atambire Abaa, rallied all stakeholders to support the organisation engage in a vigorous campaign against the menace of drug misuse, otherwise called substance abuse.
The CEO admitted encountering difficulties in his stance to battle alcoholism and drug abuse amongst the youth in the region, but was quick to say he was not relenting on that task, “because we need responsible people to help grow the region”.
Mr Abaa said the issue of drug abuse and illicit trafficking was getting out of hand, hence required a comprehensive approach to stamping it out.
“We must unite to fight drugs and stop killing one another. Drugs and alcohol have claimed many lives in the region,” he said, adding it had dealt a huge blow to productivity in the region, as most of the deaths recorded were the productive youth population.
Mr Abaa recounted the odds he braved when he birthed the idea to establish the organisation, and stated that he had to resign from a well-paying job (the Ghana National Fire Service) following some incessant pressure from higher authorities, to pursue his dream of helping the addicted folk to be rehabilitated, so as to enable them to lead responsible lives worthy of emulation.
The P. A. V Ansah Journalist of the Year (2023), Edward Adeti, hailed the CEO for his consistent resolve to ensuring there was some recovery of drug addicts.
He mentioned that Mr Abaa was very passionate and vociferous about putting an end to the phenomenon of drug abuse and alcoholism, “and he had to leave a well-paying job to pursue this enterprise.
“We all know he was with the GNFS, not just a low-ranking officer but a senior officer. He left it at the risk of putting his family on the brink of starvation “.
According to him, observing the 10th year of the existence of the civil society organisation was worth it, and urged stakeholders, including political players, journalists, not-for-profit making organisations among others, to aid LOAD reduce the menace of drug abuse and alcoholism to the barest minimum.
Mr Adeti furthered that, statistics from the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) revealed that the region had recorded 52 crashes, leading to 36 deaths and 89 injuries from January to June, this year, attributing it to the phenomenon of drink-driving.
The Regional Mental Health Coordinator, Gifty Aboagyewaa Polycarp, said her outfit was doing everything possible to increase awareness of the serious challenge associated with illegal trafficking.
Ms Polycarp, who doubles as the Addiction Specialist, disclosed that drug trafficking was tearing through communities in the region with psychoactive substances, such as “red 225” which, according to her, were dangerous and destructive to human health.
FROM FRANCIS DABRE DABANG, BOLGATANGA
