The Okyenhene Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin has charged his sub-chiefs to collaborate with the Law enforcement agencies to root out drug peddlers in their respective traditional jurisdictions.
The Overload of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area worried about increasing substance abuse and illicit trafficking of drugs has been using his ongoing” Royal tour” of his traditional area accompanied with medical outreach program to create awareness on the menace. According to him, the high rate of substance abuse is disturbing and must be nipped in the bud.
“Tramol and what I have been told is called ‘downdown ‘are dangerous. If it doesn’t kill you today it will kill you in the near future. let me prophesy if you don’t refrain from tramadol you will die, if you don’t stop taking downdown you will die before your time. If you are not scared of death then continue. Life is precious so stay away from it. These drugs can ruin your life and even end you in jail so let’s advice the youth, the students and also fish out those selling tramadol for their arrest,” the Okyenhene said.
Globally, some 35 million people mostly youth are estimated to suffer from drug use disorders and who require treatment services, according to the latest World Drug Report, released June 26,2019 by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The Report also estimates the number of opioid users at 53 million, up 56 per cent from previous estimates and that opioids are responsible for two thirds of the 585,000 people who died as a result of drug use in 2017. Globally, 11 million people injected drugs in 2017, of whom 1.4 million live with HIV and 5.6 million with hepatitis
Ghana is among countries in West and Central and North Africa experiencing a crisis of another synthetic opioid, tramadol. Global seizures of tramadol jumped from less than 10 kilograms in 2010 to almost 9 tons in 2013 and reached a record high of 125 tons in 2017.
Though the most widely used drug globally continues to be cannabis, with an estimated 188 million people having used the drug in 2017.
The distinguished traditional ruler wants collective effort by families and State institutions to help curb the alarming menace of drug abuse which he says is a threat to the Health,security and economic stability of the country.
Okyenhene Amoatia Ofori Panin is touring 16 towns in the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area since September 9,2019. He is expected to end the tour on September 26,2019 at Apapam. – Kojo Ansah
