By: Johannes Jafo Akunatu [0247019099; akjafo@gmail.com]
Damongo is facing a quiet crisis with its youth, and this is taking away bright futures. Drug use among the youth started out as isolated instances and has grown into an easily seen pattern of opioid abuse, primarily from tramadol which is commonly known as Red.
The evidence of this crisis is no longer concealed. It's becoming apparent on our streets, markets and schools.
Across Ghana, health officials are raising concerns over the increasing number of young people misusing opioids. Opioids are intended for relieving pain when used under the direct guidance of healthcare professionals. However, when the are abused, the become habit-forming, unsafe and sometimes deadly.
Damongo is currently experiencing the ramifications of this national problem in a localized manner. Young people who are into these illicit drugs are clearly in distress. Their slurring of words, the trembling of their bodies, confusion, emotional breakdowns have been witnessed.
These are not scripted scenes. They are real moments of young lives disintegrating before the entire community.
Experts in health caution that abusing opioids disrupts the normal electrical function of the brain, and may cause seizures and irreversible long-term neurological damage. Opioid abusers commonly suffer from mood disorders, anxiety, and depression. Concentration decreases, memory deteriorates and decision-making is significantly impaired.
For a young person whose mental and emotional development is just beginning, these effects are catastrophic.
Teachers in schools have reported decreasing attention span and erratic student behavior. Students who had potential are now struggling to complete simple assignments. Parents are describing children that have become withdrawn, aggressive or emotionally numb. Futures are put on hold.
One of the most alarming parts of this crisis is accessibility. Opioids have become far too accessible. Controlled substances, such as tramadol and similar medications are getting into the country via illicit means and are available to anyone. Regulation of their sale remains weak.
In Damongo, people who sell legal over-the-counter medicine and only medical supplies for emergencies, now sell illegal opioids. Provision stores and individual vendors have also become part of the black market for opioids. There's no need for cover-up here, it all happens openly.
Legally, health authorities clearly state that only doctors at licensed hospitals and community pharmacists can legally prescribe opioids and monitor their users. However, in practice, that is not how things work. Because there has been weak enforcement, illegal vendors selling opioids feel safe and only care about making money, not saving lives.
The Municipal Assembly and the Savannah Regional Health Directorate should be very concerned. Each time an unauthorized vendor sells illicit drugs it is a sign of a failure of management. Each youth who becomes addicted is proof that the management and oversight that are supposed to protect citizens from themselves and others are failing to do so.
National statistics show that adolescent substance abuse in Ghana is increasing across the country, especially in poorer communities where there is less supervision and fewer opportunities. Damongo is an example of this pattern. Young people in Damongo face high rates of unemployment, few recreational activities, and great economic pressures and therefore see drugs as offering them a chance to escape, gain strength, or find some measure of relief.
Red doesn't give you strength. Red takes away your strength, then requires you to pay it back with interest.
If these trends continue without being checked, Damongo will lose a generation. And while the costs will include numerous hospital visits and countless broken families, the true cost will be the loss of potential talent and long term social instability.
No single organization will win the battle against drug abuse. Collective responsibility is required.
All government agencies must enforce the laws regarding prescription drugs. Illegal sale and distribution of opioids must be seen as a serious public health concern, not just another crime. All authorized pharmacies must be monitored, and unauthorized sellers must be closed.
Religious and traditional leaders have a very important role to play here. The word they speak carries moral weight. Religious and traditional leaders can influence views, challenge those practices or social norms which may harm, and provide community-based advice based upon the community's value system. The days of being silent are over.
Families too must begin to honestly address addiction. Addiction grows fastest in secret. Parents must communicate, watch, and intervene early. Young people cannot stop using once they become addicted. Punishment and shame push the addict further away from recovery, while support and structure draw them back toward it.
The media must continue to shed light on this problem. Awareness Saves Lives. Media must report responsibly. Community-wide discussions and continuous efforts, such as Stop Red, must continue to apply institutional pressure and inform the public.
Most importantly, there must be systems in place to support individuals recovering from substance use disorders. Substance use disorder is a disease, a serious health condition. With treatment options available, such as counseling, medical care, community support. A person can recover from a substance use disorder when provided timely and consistent treatment.
The youth of Damongo are not lost. They're simply suffering from a society that has failed to protect them. Now the question is how quickly the community responds to this situation.
This is not just a drug related crisis. This is a crisis regarding accountability, leadership and the value we place on our young people. When the leaders come together to deal with this crisis immediately and decisively, the future of the affected youth can still be reclaimed.
The price of doing nothing will ultimately be much higher than the price of making some changes.
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