By Robert V. Harris, Sr.
Drug is a substance that has some special effect on the life of people especially use by humans as Medicine or Narcotic.
The problem of drug abuse is not new in the world but trend has become worrisome with a high prevalence rate of drug use among youth (youthful generation) as the rise in organized crime has made it easier for drugs to be produced, trafficked, sold and used.
Drug is also defined as any chemical substance whether of nature or synthetic origin which can be used to attar perception, mood or other psychological states. This is a useful broad description of psychoactive drugs although it does not cover many medical drugs used for physical ailments.
SAFE DRUGS:
Medical drugs have certainly benefited many, but if abused will be harmful. It’s easier to say, take this pill but primary problem is not addressed. Even nonprescription medical drugs if abused can lead to a serious health problems.
ILLICIT DRUGS
Many on drugs are still able to function relatively normal in everyday life, although their addiction must affect the quality of their life to a greater or lesser degree. Nevertheless, to minimize the dark side of the illicit drug scene is difficult.
The use of drugs including illicit drugs has become acceptable to many viewed as a part of everyday life.
Not considering widely damage caused by narcotic drugs, most especially to the youthful feature leaders. It is a good time to reflect on your own view about drugs.
The influence of peers is the prime reason. Peer pressure certainly plays a major role in starting on drugs, and the young are mostly confronted with the examples of their idols (actor/start) in the entertainment world, who wield a powerful influence over their young fans.
Most of the entertainment industries are played with drug abuse some top performers on the social events including Music Seen often become involved with heavy drugs, at some stage in career.
Many film actors/stars are also habitual drug users. Entertainers can give drugs a glamour appeal that youths seem to find irresistible.
Drug scene is glamorized in magazines, film shows, television and other entertainment units in the world.
Some people get hooked to drugs due to disillusionment, depression, a lack of purposes in life, economic problem, unemployment and poor parental example.
Some who have difficulty with human relationship use drugs to help them cope in social situations.
The lack of parental supervision example, children come home from school to empty home, they are lonely and don’t want to be alone.
Friends joined them watch endless television, music, videos, excitement, smoking, drugs use and drinking can easily become a part of this picture.
THE DRUG LAWS
In His state of the Union Address this year (2023) to fight illicit drug abuse and trafficking, The United States of America President, His Excellency Joe Biden gives green light to fight drug abuse and illicit trafficking in Liberia. Source: back page of volume 15, number 155 of In Profile, June 28, 2023 edition, Newspaper.
Furthermore, the House Members in Liberia voted to enact several amendments to drug laws making most offenses non billable for drug offenses and make it tremendously difficult for drug related crimes to be released on bail.
In the some regard, the House Speaker, Honorable Bhofal Chambers strongly states that while the law is good but it would not reduce the importation or sales of illicit drugs if a holistic approach that involves aggressive media relation awareness education campaigns and other media programs are not met. Most especially for the youthful population in Liberia.
WHY MEDIA
The Media is the best, reliable and effective broad based institutions with segmental for education, disseminations of informative awareness programs most especially for harmful substances that damaging the youthful population.
The pen and microphone are powerful tools to fight with. That’s now hard to ignore.
The Consequences of drug abuse are significant and far reaching including criminal activities, the degradation of social values and the decline of quality of life for individual and communities.
The drug consumers especially the youth are deemed to be victims of the cultivators, manufacturers, importers, traffickers and sellers.
Illicit drug traffickers are multi-billionaires , some are politicians, fake religious leaders, businessmen and other non-governmental harakeke’s in the world who are willing to spend any amount of money to authority in their favours when obstacle occurred during their drug business operations.
Drug proliferation is one of the dangerous business and when they are caught, the traffickers play blame games in relation to who responsible for the trafficking and destruction of the country’s youthful population.
HOW TO FIGHT DRUGS
To fight drugs, it is expedience to use the Media awareness education campaign programs mainly for the youth.
The youths are the highest percentage of drug users and are the youthful feature leaders. They need more media related education awareness programs to desist from the drug consumption.
As the economics theory states “if consumer or buyer stop from purchasing the product, the importer or manufacturer trafficker will not make the product available due to no buyer. The aggressive media campaign will mostly focus on activities of the youth (the users).
The media is more powerful and can relate programs to millions of people within minutes, especially electronics.
In an effort to fight drug war, it is advisable to use the media for education awareness campaign, vision (print) and other media (electronic) related programs.
The Media script will include discouragement of the youth from using the narcotic, express the danger to their health, life, stop the stigma discrimination and strengthen prevention.
Increase awareness through negative reflection impacts of illicit drugs consumption and the danger.
As the saying states “experience is not what happens to a man but it is what a man does with what happens to him”
CONCLUSION
Despite well-known risks, people continue to abuse drugs and such abuse continue to destroy their lives. Drug abuse costs the reduction of job productivity, education lost earnings and increase crime.
The youth (young ones) pay the highest price. Most of the youth between ten (10) and twenty five (25) years of age have already tried some drug. Consider seniors in high school according to one study, 20 to 37 percent had at least tried some kind of drug.
Reflection, according to the former United Nation (UN) Secretary General the late General Kofi Anna, he said, “Drugs are tearing apart our societies, increasing crime spreading sexually transmitting diseases and killing our youth and our future.
In addition, He said because of abusing drugs, many people become victims of violence are injured or engage in risky unplanned sex. And if you think that your family is immune, think again. The drug problem affects everyone.
