The Member of Parliament for Sissala East, Mohammed Issah Bataglia, has urged the youth in his constituency to desist from drug use for the betterment of their lives.

According to the legislator, his attention has been drawn to the situation, which he says needs to be nipped in the bud immediately.

According to the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), about 50,000 people in the Northern region are engaged in substance and drug abuse, out of which 35,000 are adolescents in school.

The challenge is no different in the Upper West region and the Sissala East constituency, as many young people spend their productive years abusing drugs such as tramadol, opioids and ‘red’.

In recent years, the situation has sparked national conversation, with renewed efforts to clamp down on the sale and use of such drugs.

Speaking in an interview with JoyNews, Mohammed Issah Bataglia says frantic efforts are being made in collaboration with the police command to drastically tackle the issue.

“Drug abuse is a major concern. We have held several awareness programmes with the security agencies, led by the police commander, to address the issue—not because of anything else, but because of the harm it causes to the youth,” he said.

The lawmaker also attributed the rising trend partly to unemployment, adding that the government is working tirelessly through several flagship initiatives to address the situation.

He believes initiatives such as the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme will provide skills training for the youth, keep them engaged, and reduce drug abuse.

Mr. Bataglia further expressed concern that the constituency’s proximity to Burkina Faso, which is grappling with insurgency, could pose security risks if idle youth are engaged in drug use.

He therefore called on all stakeholders in the area to collectively fight the canker to keep the youth safe, productive and focused.