Breaking the Silence of Addiction — A Community United for Better Tomorrows

In the quiet dawn of a community where laughter and familiar voices once filled markets and neighbourhoods, a different kind of whisper has begun to spread — a whisper of concern, of regret and of urgency. Across the Upper East Region, the rise of drug and alcohol misuse among young people has become a growing challenge, tugging at the threads that bind families and shaking the foundations of hopeful futures. Amid these worries, a leader’s voice has risen — not in rebuke, but in plea; not in punishment, but in shared purpose.

At the heart of this call is Mr. Akamugri Donatus Atanga, the Upper East Regional Minister, a figure who has watched young lives wrestling with the lure of substances they believe offer temporary concealment from stress or pain. Through a new documentary, evocatively titled “Swallowed by Drugs,” he likened the reliance on drugs or alcohol to a fleeting shelter that ultimately deepens one’s troubles rather than relieving them. In his words — if one leans on substances to escape stress, they are merely postponing their challenges, and when the influence fades, the burden remains heavier.

Stepping beyond caution, the Minister implored the region’s youth to channel their energy into pursuits that enrich rather than diminish their futures. He spoke of education, craft and vocation as beacons that can light pathways away from despair and toward personal growth. Young people, he suggested, would be better served by aligning with role models of resilience and achievement rather than those whose paths have strayed.

Yet this appeal was not directed solely at youth. Parents, he reminded, hold a profound influence on their children’s lives — not just through instruction, but through presence and conversation. When concerns raised by young ones are met with dismissal or harsh words, it can drive them toward solace in substances rather than support at home. An open, empathetic dialogue, joined with counseling and guidance, he counseled, can steer families back toward connection and strength.

Beyond individual families, the Minister also turned his attention to the community structures that have enabled easier access to drugs and alcohol. Unregulated pharmacies and numerous drinking spots, he noted, have made harmful substances disturbingly affordable and available. He urged local assemblies to enact stronger by-laws to supervise sales and ensure better regulation of establishments that sell alcohol and drugs.

In his closing appeal, Mr. Atanga spoke with the tempered voice of a parent and leader alike, urging youth to resist the lure of substances that promise comfort but deliver ruin. His rally was not a cry of chastisement, but a shared invitation for youth and families to invest in brighter horizons — where lives are shaped by purpose, resilience, and collective care.

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Sources ModernGhana