Drug Day observed at rehabilitation centre
A ceremony has taken place at the Drug and Alcohol Free Awareness and Rehabilitation Centre (DAFAREC) at Medie, near Nsawam, in the Ga West District to mark this year’s International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking of drugs.
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At the event, the Union Savings and Loans Limited partnered with the Greater Accra Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) to present assorted items to the inmates of the centre.
The items presented included shirts, food items, toiletries and boxes of mineral water, all valued at GH¢15,000. The centre also received a cheque for GH¢5000 from the donors.
Also, as part of the welfare package, the Union Savings and Loans Limited collaborated with the Claron Medical Centre to give the inmates of the centre, who are mainly drug and alcohol addicts, free medical screening,
The ceremony was on the theme, “Listen first: drug prevention among youth and children.”
Statistics from the world report of the United Nations office for Drug Control indicate that there is an increase in drug use and abuse by the youth in developing countries, including those in West Africa.
In Ghana, a research conducted by NACOB at the various psychiatric hospitals has shown that about 10 to 15 per cent of patients from the ages of 10 to 35 reported with cases related to drug abuse. Meanwhile, available statistics also indicate that the rate of drug abuse by the youth between ages 10 and 27 is very high.
Testimonies
The gathering at the function were moved by the transformation of some of the inmates who had decided to be disciples against drug abuse.
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An inmate, Mr Kingsley Nartey, 49, who had been at the centre for the past eight months, said he had abused drugs for over 20 years.
Donation
The Executive Head of Finance of Union Savings and Loans Limited, Mr Kwasi Nimako, said the gesture was in line with the company’s philosophy of giving back to society.
The Corporate Affairs Manager of Union Savings and Loans Limited, Ms Yaa Fosuah Gyamfi, said the company was ready to promote sustainable initiatives that enhanced social change, improved the lives of people and solved pressing social needs.
The Greater Accra Regional Commander of NACOB, Mrs Victoria Esinam Assah Offei, said there was an alarming increase in the use of drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, heroine and other narcotics among the youth in junior and senior high schools.
She urged parents and guardians to consciously monitor the lifestyle of their children and wards in order to safeguard their health and future, pointing out that, “Social media is having an influence on the youth while parents are busy chasing after money and shirking their responsibilities.”
She expressed concern that Ghana did not have country-wide rehabilitation centres, leaving private rehabilitation and faith-based centres to fill the void, and therefore called for intensified and decisive multi-stakeholder approach to help win the fight against drug abuse and trafficking, since they continued to be a major challenge.
DAFAREC
The Director of DAFAREC, Mr Emmanuel Agyapong, commended Union Savings and Loans Limited, NACOB and the Claron Heath Centre for coming to the aid of the centre.
He said the centre, which was a non-profit faith organisation with the aim of rehabilitating and restoring the lives of drug addicts at no cost to them, faced a number of challenges including accommodation, pointing out that currently there were no facilities for women at the centre, and that it also lacked a medical facility to cater for the health needs of inmates.
He said inmates were taken through 12 months of restoration after which they went through another 12 months of training to become ambassadors and counsellors in the campaign against drug abuse.