Substance abuse among youth worrying — NGO
The Chief Executive Officer of the Willingway Recovery and Rehabilitation Centre, Lydia Abena Manu Adofo, has cautioned that the continuous neglect of youth in urban ghettos poses an existential threat to society.
She said that if Ghana’s leaders did not take immediate and critical steps to address drug abuse and addiction, the very youth left behind on the streets would irreversibly destroy the future of their own well-educated children.
Madam Adofo made the remarks during an outreach and sensitisation tour of Krofrom Columbia, a known drug hub in Manhyia, as well as several other ‘bases’ at Amakom, both within the Kumasi Metropolis in the Ashanti Region.
Call to Action
The ghetto visitation was organised to educate vulnerable youth on the severe health and social dangers associated with substance abuse.
As part of the outreach, the Willingway Recovery team also provided cooked meals and assorted drinks to the residents.
Madam Adofo described the escalating drug crisis among the youth as a time bomb and a national security threat that required urgent and institutional intervention.
She attributed the rapid spread of substance addiction largely to the deep-seated social stigma within Ghanaian communities.
Stigmatisation
"We must end the stigmatisation of individuals battling drug addiction. Families have a crucial role to play by welcoming them back and helping re-integrate them into society, rather than abandoning them," she urged.
She further recommended that families and state authorities prioritise professional rehabilitation services as the most sustainable means of curbing the epidemic.
Ahead of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26, the Willingway CEO called on global and national leaders to treat the day not merely as a symbolic commemoration, but as a definitive call to action.
Growing concerns
The outreach was supported by key stakeholders, including representatives from the Ghana Health Service (GHS), the Mental Health Authority and the prominent street preacher, Evangelist Suro Nyame.
Other partner organisations included the Modesta Impact Initiative, Gunshot and various media houses.
Adding her voice to the call, the President of the Modesta Impact Initiative, Dr Modesta Abbem, expressed deep frustration over the systemic neglect of youth struggling with substance dependency.
Dr Abbem appealed to the government for structural interventions, warning that Ghana's future stands at high risk as an increasing number of young people are driven into drug abuse and are rapidly adopting destructive ghetto lifestyles.
