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08.06.2017 Social News

Society must not abandon drug addicts

08.06.2017 LISTEN
By GNA

Fumesua (Ash), June 08, GNA - The Ashanti Regional Commander of the Police Drug Law Enforcement Unit has made a plea to society not to abandon drug addicts.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Jeremiah Alale said they needed to be supported to give up on drugs and to get their lives back.

He was speaking at a day's training workshop held at Fumesua in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality to sensitize and assist police investigators to efficiently handle drug cases.

This was organized by the Willing Way Foundation Academy (WWFA) - a rehabilitation facility for drug addicts.

The participants drawn from across the Ashanti Region were taken through drug administration and categories - narcotics, depressants, stimulants, steroids and hallucinogens.

ASP Alale said it was important for police officers to be more meticulous in their investigation of drugs offences to avoid throwing into jail mentally deranged people.

They should not hesitate to invite experts to determine the state of mind of people caught either in possession or right in the act of using hard drugs.

He added that it was possible to mistake drug abusers, who were of unsound mind for hardened criminals.

They should go the extra mile to satisfy themselves that anybody found illegally possessing or abusing narcotic drugs was sane before putting such an offender before court to stand trial.

ASP Alale indicated that drug addiction was a brain-disease and the right place for the addict was a mental facility.

Madam Lydia Abena Manu, the WWFA Founder, advised the family of drug addicts to stand by them - take them to the mental hospital and rehabilitation centres.

She called for increased public education campaign to create awareness and discourage the misuse of hard drugs.

GNA

By Florence Afriyie Mensah, GNA

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