Sierra Leone News: NDLEA Trains 30 Drug Prevention Educators
By Joseph S. Margai, Strategic Communications Coordinator (Office of the President)
In an effort to eliminate drug abuse and trafficking, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission Drug Unit has trained 30 drug prevention educators.
The three-day training which was in line with the ECOWAS Drug Action Plan 2016–2020 and drawn participants from the media, police, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Sierra Leone Alcohol Policy Alliance (SLAPA), among others ended on Saturday August 24, 2019.
Minister of Internal Affairs, Edward Soluku said after the training, the participants would proudly serve as trainers on drug prevention in their respective communities, schools, offices and religious assemblies.
“The main objective of this European Union (EU) sponsored workshop is to improve the skills of identified core drug prevention educators to be able to carry out effective evidence-based drug educators in a sustainable manner to address drug use among children, adolescents, young adults and adults across the country,” he said.
He said that there is a political will from the government of Sierra Leone to support the ECOWAS Commission Drug Unit to train and develop the human capital of the various units.
NDLEA’s Public Relations Officer, Ibrahim Kargbo said the government has identified several strategies to address drug abuse situation in the country, adding that evidence-based programmes on drug prevention education is one of them.
He disclosed that since May 2018, NDLEA cooperated with a monitoring mission led by the ECOWAS Drug Unit to assess the level of implementation of the ECOWAS Drug Plan (2016–2020) in Sierra Leone.
“The monitoring mission report disclosed that the three main illegal drugs prevalent in Sierra are cannabis, heroin and cocaine with cannabis accounting for over 90 percent of the drugs used,” he stated.
He noted that the training was geared towards strengthening and increasing the skills of core drug prevention educators, element and sustainability of drug prevention programmes.
“It is disturbing to note that our schools are not free from the menace of substance and alcohol abuse, with Kush, marijuana butter scotch and hashish, as emerging trends, which is grossly abused by students,” he said.
Principal Programme Officer and Programme Coordinator, ECOWAS Commission Drug Unit, Daniel Amankwaah expressed excitement over Sierra Leone’s government effort to address drug menace.
“Illicit drug trafficking, drug abuse and related organised crimes are obstructions to the achievement of the 2030 agenda for sustainable Development Goals. Drug menace has the ability to destroy gains that have already been made,” he said.
He said drug menace cannot be controlled without seeking the support of various stakeholders in a country, noting that the training was very crucial in addressing the drug menace in Sierra Leone and other ECOWAS countries.
Doctor-in-Charge of Psychiatric Teaching Hospital Kissy, Dr. Abdul Jalloh, disclosed that 80% of the youth admitted at the psychiatric hospital is as a result of drug abuse, adding that drug abuse is affecting the well-being of the Sierra Leonean youth.
He commended NDLEA for organising a timely event on drug prevention, and called on participants to take the message to their various communities in a bid to prevent drug abuse.
