NewzThe Deputy Director General in charge of Enforcement, Control and Elimination at the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Alexander Twum-Barimah, has praised JoyNews for its continued efforts in highlighting the growing challenge of drug abuse in Ghana. According to him, the documentary, Deadly Doses II, produced by JoyNews journalist Nana Boakye Yiadom, provides an important platform to expose the realities surrounding narcotics abuse and complements the work of institutions mandated to fight the menace. Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Monday, Mr.
Twum-Barmah said although he had not been able to watch the full second part of the documentary, he had followed the first edition and was impressed with the consistency and impact of the initiative. He said the documentary demonstrates the importance of collaboration between state institutions and the media in addressing drug-related challenges. “I was commending Multimedia, Joy FM, or JoyNews, for the good work and the support when it comes to this documentary.
Having that last year and also following up to show how far we have come since the last one is something that needs to be commended,” he said. He encouraged other media houses to emulate JoyNews by undertaking similar projects that bring attention to drug abuse, especially in communities where the problem persists. His comments follow the airing of “Deadly Doses: Ghana’s Growing Drug Crisis,” a JoyNews investigative documentary series by Nana Boakye Yiadom, which exposes the changing dynamics of drug abuse in Ghana.
The latest edition of the documentary, which comes a year after the first investigation uncovered drug ghettos including Thinker Island and Columbia in the Ashanti Region, reveals a disturbing shift in the country’s drug crisis. The investigation found that illicit substances are increasingly finding their way into schools, university campuses and everyday products consumed by young people. According to the documentary, traffickers are moving beyond the open sale of narcotics in known drug hotspots and are now concealing substances such as marijuana and opioids in products including sobolo, brownies and gummies, making detection more difficult.
Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Monday, July 27, he said the development is one of the worrying trends emerging in the fight against substance abuse, as young people who should be protected from the dangers of narcotics are increasingly becoming part of the supply chain. “It is sad that people are having this in the system. One sad part is even where now students are becoming a trade source, and they are the ones leading in selling these things.
Twum-Barima said NACOC remains committed to reducing drug abuse in Ghana through enforcement, control, prevention and public education programmes. Twum-Barimah commended the Multimedia Group for highlighting the issue and supporting efforts to combat narcotics-related challenges. Although he had not watched the entirety of the second part of the documentary, he said the follow-up investigation was important in showing how far Ghana has come in the fight against drug abuse while exposing emerging challenges.
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