Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo, has emphasized the critical need to fight the growing opioid abuse just as the nation focuses attention on the fight against Galamsey (illegal mining).
In an exclusive with Kojo Sefah-Danquah on the Happy Morning show, the minister highlighted that while the fight against illegal mining remains a priority, another menace facing the nation is the widespread abuse of opioids and other drugs by young people.
According to the Minister, the youth involved in galamsey are often not just victims of environmental degradation, but also that of drug abuse.
“The opioid crisis is a bigger threat to Ghana. While we must tackle illegal mining, we must also address the root cause of youth involvement in these activities. Many of the youth involved in Galamsey are under the influence of drugs, and we cannot ignore this growing epidemic,” he said.
The Minister mentioned that the issue of drug abuse and galamsey pose a massive challenge for the country.
He called for a holistic approach which will tackle both the harmful effects of drug addiction and illegal mining.
“We need to focus on rehabilitating our youth. The solution isn’t just to stop galamsey, but also to provide young people with decent, sustainable jobs and alternative sources of livelihood. By doing so, we can simultaneously tackle the opioid menace and create pathways for the youth to thrive outside of illegal activities that is why as the Ministry responsible for youth Development and Empowerment, we will focus on these issues so that we can save Ghana’s future,” he noted.
The Minister also shared lessons from Sierra Leone’s fight against Kush and mentioned that Kush became a significant drug menace in Sierra Leone, particularly affecting the youth. The crisis overwhelmed mental health facilities and rehabilitation centers with the President; H.E. Julius Maada Bio declaring a state of national emergency in April 2024 to address the escalating drug abuse crisis.
He advised that the fight against RED is a national action and called on all persons, organisations to join the fight because the effects know no boundaries
