The Ministry of Health (MoH) is developing a policy to regulate the production, distribution, marketing and consumption of alcohol in the country, following the growing incidence of alcohol. "Alcohol is a drug and its addiction is a mental health issue. While alcohol is an illicit drug, its abuse causes many problems not only to mental health but also physical and social health and the economy at large. Therefore, an alcohol policy is very much in order," the Chief Psychiatrist, Dr Akwasi Osei, said in an address read on his behalf at the celebration of the World Mental Day in Accra on Monday. October 10, every year, has been set aside by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Federation of Mental Health to raise awareness of mental health. This year's event is on the theme: "The Great rush: Investing in Mental Health". Dr Osei said the war on mental health could not be won in isolation, as there were other things that might look peripheral but were crucial to mental health, pointing out that any discussions on mental health must take into consideration those factors, which included alcohol abuse. Tobacco regulation, he said, was another area that was crucial to the improvement of mental health care in the country, as it was a "gateway" to other drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and heroin. "As society develops and becomes more complex, tension increases in that society. This tension manifests in various ways, including stress-related physical and psychological disorders. Our society is developing and we expect these problems to be on the ascendancy," he said. Suicide reportage, Dr Osei said, was on the increase, adding that a non-governmental organisation reported that last year alone there were 1,300 cases of completed suicide in Ghana. He said suicide was mostly the result of mental disorder, hence the call by the theme to give a greater push for mental health care was in the right direction. "Again, we hear many child defilement cases, child abuse, drug abuse and other social vices and these are all mental health related. Indeed, as we have said time and again, a good number of armed robbers derive their strength from substance abuse, which is a mental health issue," he emphasised. He commended the MoH and the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health for the enthusiasm they had shown to ensure that the Mental Health Bill and mental health in general received the needed push. He also lauded the contributions of NGOs, including Basic Needs, Minds Freedom, the Ghana Mental Health Association, Psycho-Mental Health, Friends of the Psychiatric Hospital, the Coalition of Advocates for Mental Health Reforms, the Ghana Organisation Against Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and the Mental Health Society of Ghana. "We strongly believe that we are entering a new phase for mental health in Ghana with the imminent passage of the mental health bill. We are truly living in interesting times and mental health is poised to make a contribution," he stated. The Chief of Adabraka, Nii Tetteh Adjabeng I, deplored the stigmatisation of treated mental patients, stating that such a negative practice needed to be stopped. A mental health cyclist, Mr Daniel Obeng Manteaw, said there was the need to create more awareness of mental health across the country.