The Narcotics Control Commission has hinted that 47 per cent of females between the ages of 15 to 65 are engaging in drug abuse.

The world commemorates International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking on June 26, annually. The theme for this year’s celebration is ‘’People first: stop stigma and discrimination, strengthen prevention”.

Acting Director of Public Affairs and International Relations at the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Francis Opoku Amoah explained that a lot of women are also now abusing drugs.

He said they (Commission) visited some rehabilitation centres and figures from those centres showed that 47% of females are into drug abuse.

"Previously, when we talk about drug abuse, you will think about men, but now figures from the rehabilitation centres we visited revealed that, 53% of males between the ages of 15-65 are engaging in drug abuse while the remaining 47% are females. But so far, males are still dominating drug abuse in the country."

Mr. Amoah said peer pressure and adventurous lifestyles as factors that push the men into such acts whereas relationships, peer pressure and the desire to explore are among the things leading the woman into it.

He was speaking with Akua Boakyewaa Yiadom on Adom FM’s programme, Burning Issues.

When asked how the state can curb this menace, Mr Opoku Amoah said most of those abusing drugs are ignorant about the effects on them so there is the need for massive education to sensitise the youth about the dangers of drug abuse on their lives and the need for them to desist from it.

He also urged women whose partners are luring them into such dangerous behaviours to quit the relationship.

Francis Opoku Amoah said the rehabilitation centres in the country are not enough to help treat some of these people who have become drug addicts.

Again, he added that the law has changed regarding punishment for those who engage in hard drugs.

"At first when one is arrested for engaging in hard drugs, he or she is arraigned before court and when found guilty, he or she is given at least five years imprisonment but now with the new law, people who are arrested for engaging in hard drugs are taken to court and the judges together with doctors will have to examine the fellow and they will recommend if he or she should be taken to a rehabilitation centre."

He concluded that, the new law allows persons arrested on drugs to be sent to rehabs rather than prison.