Pubdate: Mon, 09 Oct 2006
Source: Statesman, The (Ghana)
Copyright: 2006 The Statesman
Contact:  http://www.thestatesmanonline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4308

ANY PLANS FOR DRUG ADDICTS?

Over the last couple of months, the good people of Ghana have been 
fed a daily breakfast of cocaine and other narcotics related issues, 
which began with the East Legon bust, through the MV Benjamin saga, 
to the final submission of the Georgina Wood committee report.

To further dampen appetites, The Statesman revealed in its Monday 
October 2 issue, a study by the UN which indicated that Ghana now 
leads Africa's new status as a hub for drug-trafficking networks.

It is gratifying to note that Government has put in place mechanisms 
to ensure that this unenviable accolade is firmly and permanently 
reversed. It also behoves on all of us, irrespective of political 
affiliation, to lend a hand in this all important national image 
redemption exercise.

However, as we all rise up in righteous indignation at this affront 
to our national sovereignty, let us pause to consider the 
ramifications of this tidal wave of narcotic drugs into our country.

According to Stephen Brown of the Drugs Intelligence Unit of 
Interpol: "Drugs are not only moving through these countries, but 
staying there."

He goes on to say that, "every country has the potential to be a 
trafficking country, then it"s only a matter of years before it 
develops into a user country."

Thus, it only stands to reason that since narcotics have been passing 
steadily through our shores over the last decade or so, we are 
definitely in the class of user countries by now.

What this means is that we are now a nation with a burgeoning number 
of citizens, especially the youth, who are firmly addicted to 
cocaine, heroin and other mood altering substances.

This fact is clearly borne out by the rising levels of violent crime 
on our streets, and the increasing number of school demonstrations 
against authority, which have assumed a decidedly more destructive 
and sinister hue.

There is the need for us as a people to wise up to this scourge of 
narcotics, and to craft a more holistic policy towards its eradication.

This means that even as we continue to ruthlessly pursue those 
individuals who choose to make a living out of these vile substances, 
we should also make it of utmost importance for us to also lend a 
hand to those who have fallen victim to these evil substances and to 
give them hope for the future, by rehabilitating them and ensuring 
their recovery.

The fact that the youth, who are going to be our future leaders, are 
being weaned on a culture of drugs, is enough cause for alarm. What 
is even more worrisome is the fact that we do not have any mechanisms 
in place, to enable drug addicts who have the will and the 
inclination to reform, to do so.

In Western Europe and America, governments have instituted programmes 
which serve to wean the youth off the culture of drugs, into more 
productive endeavours.

Though the argument may be raised that we are not even in the 
position to provide normal healthcare, given our scarce resources, to 
talk of caring for drug addicts.

There is no gainsaying that drug abuse is a canker that cuts across 
all forms of social or class barriers. It is no respecter of persons, 
and tends to sap away the energy of the youth, thus rendering them, 
to all intents and purposes virtually moribund. In this way, our 
developmental goals as a nation are severely hampered and we as a 
people find our progress effectively curtailed.

We believe that the Attorney General should have a second look at the 
recent amendment to Act 29, which has basically added drugs to the 
category of offences in which bail cannot be granted.

The danger here is that the law does not discriminate against users. 
Thus a situation is likely to arise where we will end up putting 
people behind bars for being users of narcotics.

Juxtapose this against our present legal system, where cases can go 
on for over a year before the trial proper begins.

What we will have, will be situations where people will be 
incarcerated for long periods for misdemeanours which will only serve 
as a complete waste of our scarce resources. Not to mention the 
attendant overcrowding in our prisons, which Government is already 
grappling with, and an increase in the workload of our already 
overworked policemen.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Elaine