This, she noted was because drug addicts tended mostly to be involved in crimes such as armed-robbery, rape and murder, which generally caused socio-economic loss to families, communities, institutions/organisations and the nation at large.

Ms. Amponsaa made the observation at a forum on drug abuse prevention organised by the FDA for workers of the Newmont Gold Corps, Ahafo Mine at Kenyasi in the Asutifi North District of the Ahafo Region.

Held at two separate venues for 292 employees, 246 of them at 'Camp A', the Plant Site and 46 at Mensah Kunta Village, the senior staff residential area of the company, the event was part of the FDA`s public fora to educate the populace on the harmful effects of abuse of drugs and other  substances containing hard drugs.

She said the nation lost a lot of public funds through expenditure on drug to the psychiatric hospitals but "those monies could have been used to finance physical infrastructural projects and implementation of other government programmes and policies for job creation opportunities for the unemployed youth".

Ms Amponsaa expressed regret that the nation suffered great economic loss since "illicit drug are economically non-productive but scarce resources are being spent on them".

 She stressed the need for government to employ multi-sectoral approach to tackle the menace in every community of the country.

Ms Amponsaa explained the forum was held at the Ahafo Mine because of the company's huge work force, some of whom might have been taking substances containing hard drugs as energy booster because of reliance on manpower for their output.

She reiterated that drug peddling in vehicles was health-wise unsafe and prohibited and advised the general public to buy medication only from the pharmaceutical and licensed chemical selling shops.