Hiplife musician, Jerry Anaba, popularly known as Okomfour Kwadee, has urged the youth to choose physical exercise to boost their energy instead of engaging in substance abuse.
According to him, opting for substance abuse, such as opioids, red pills, and marijuana, to boost energy as a youth will have negative impacts on future life.
Speaking to Adom News during the Willing Way Recovery and Rehabilitation Street campaign against red abuse, the hiplife artiste said the rate at which people are abusing substances puts the nation’s future at risk.
“I have devoted myself to joining the Ghana Against Red Abuse campaign by Willing Way Recovery and Rehabilitation to advise the youth because there is no better future in engaging in substance abuse,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer of Willing Way Recovery and Rehabilitation Center, Madam Lydia Manu, called for a collaborative national effort to fight against the abuse of Tramadol 225mg, popularly known as “Red”.
She stressed that the youth are the future of the country and must be protected from the harmful effects of substance abuse.
“Government should restrict the importation of illicit drugs because the youth are dying,” she said, adding that it would be difficult to move all drug addicts from the ghetto because they are all suffering from addiction.
“Addiction is a chronic relapsing brain disorder, so anyone who is addicted to drugs finds it difficult to desist,” she stated.
She noted that aside from addiction, most people who have gone through rehabilitation face stigmatization from society, which often drives them back.
The Ashanti Regional Mental Health Coordinator, Faustina Nuako, said substance abuse among the youth in the Ashanti region is on the rise. “What we have realized is that if drug addicts start gaining mental problems, you will see them preaching instead of their families taking them to the hospital,” she stated.
The street campaign in the Ashanti region brought together some drug addicts who have been to rehabilitation centers and other health workers to advise the youth. The theme of the 2025 Ghana Against Red Abuse campaign is “Red means stop! Say no to Red.”
