A former Chief Psychiatrist, Prof. J.B. Asare, has raised concern about the alarming abuse of opioids among the youth, saying that failure to crack down on the influx of the substance can lead to many wasted lives in some years to come.

He, therefore, stressed the need to step up surveillance at the country’s borders in order to prevent the smuggling of the drugs into the country.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Graphic, Dr Asare urged the entire society, comprising religious bodies, politicians, educational institutions, civil society organisations, among others, to wage a relentless war against the abuse of opioids by the youth.

Past

“In the past, our children were very much afraid of the opioids because of the physical effect that they have after using it.

“But I don't know why now it's resurfacing. No, the opiates are very dangerous; they destroy them more,” he warned, adding that, “When the harm is done, it's not easy correcting it”.

He lauded the government’s campaign to deal with drug abuse among the youth in the country, and advised that every effort must be undertaken to enhance the initiative, which should not be a nine-day wonder.

Prof. Asare said the campaign should be an ongoing activity in the communities, particularly in areas where the abuse of opioids, commonly called red, was rampant.

He said he was sure that the security agencies knew where the drugs were used most frequently, and that the youth thought that they were recreational drugs to amuse themselves.

In a similar vein, he said frantic efforts should be made to identify the areas in order to educate the youth.

Right direction

“What government is doing is in the right direction, but then they need to intensify the efforts,” he said, adding that churches, companies, individuals and groups could come on board to help since persons charged with doing such job were not enough.

For instance, Prof. Asare said if churches preached against drugs and other substance abuse to let the youth know about their effects, it would go a long way to help sensitise them to the dangers associated with such drugs.

He said once the youth got hooked on the abuse of opioids, “we will have to spend money helping them to come back to normalcy.”

“It's not easy. When the harm is done, it's not easy correcting it. You know, it's not easy at all,” he emphasised, adding that “It takes a long time before the dependency efforts are taken care of.

“If we're able to do it and prevent them from using it, that is far better. But if you don't do anything and you stay on this end you're going to have a lot of wastage,” he said.

The youth, he said, were assets to the country, and as such there was the need to ensure that they were protected from drug abuse.

Campaign

The Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment has launched a national youth anti-drug initiative aimed at combating the high rate of substance abuse among young people.

Dubbed “Ghana Against Drugs – Red Means Stop”, the campaign seeks to raise public awareness of the dangers of drug abuse, engage policymakers in strengthening regulations and implement proactive measures to curb the availability and misuse of these substances.

It also aims to empower young people with the knowledge and support to make informed choices and champion drug-free lifestyles.

Substance abuse, particularly the misuse of opioids, has become a growing national concern, with the recent spread of the drug known only as “Red” raising eyebrows.

Over the past weeks, social media has been inundated with disturbing videos of young people allegedly under the influence of “Red” — staggering, slurring their speech, struggling to stay conscious, incoherent or completely unresponsive.

The viral posts with the hashtag “Wonim Red” heightened public concern and prompted urgent calls for action.

Advice

Prof. Asare, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of the Mental Health Authority, said as the country grew and developed, many changes were ongoing with people aspiring to do a lot of things, hence the youth could not be left out.

“There are a lot of grounds that our youth can pass through to be able to acquire some skills that will be of help to them and society, their families and all that. But those who are not getting jobs shouldn't lose hope.

“As Ghana is being reset now, we're going to see a lot of jobs being created,” he said.

He said it was the youth who were going to benefit more from the resetting of Ghana agenda, and so they should not lose hope.

“They should not look for quick solutions for happiness. If you have problems, come to the right source and be counselled. Drugs cannot solve any of your problems.  

“If you have a problem, just face it. See the right people to advise you, counsel you and help you to be able to manage your affairs, drugs certainly will rather destroy you rather than help you to achieve anything in life,” he said.

Opioids destroyed

The Ministry of Health and the Foods and Drugs Authority last Friday destroyed a large consignment of opioids intercepted at the Tema Port last month.

A total of 230 cartons of opioids were destroyed in last Friday’s exercise, which was undertaken at a private incinerator at Katamanso, near Ashaiman, in the Greater Accra Region.

They included 128 cartons of tafradol, 92 cartons of timaking tapentadol and 10 cartons of rahol tapentadol.