Mahama Urges Chiefs to Lead Community Fight Against Drug Abuse and Target Suppliers
Former President John Mahama calls for stronger collaboration between traditional leaders, youth groups, and security agencies to dismantle drug supply networks, especially tramadol dealers.
- Mahama urges chiefs to actively help identify and dismantle drug supply networks in communities.
- He emphasizes that drug users should be treated as victims, not criminals.
- Calls for joint action between traditional authorities, youth groups, and the Ghana Police Service to combat illicit drug distribution.
President John Dramani Mahama has called for a more united and community-led response to drug abuse in Ghana, urging traditional authorities to take a frontline role in identifying and helping dismantle supply networks, especially those dealing in substances such as tramadol.
Speaking to the Northern Regional House of Chiefs at the Jubilee House on Friday, May 15, he stressed that mental health and substance abuse can no longer be treated as low-priority issues in national policymaking.
According to him, stronger collaboration between communities, security agencies, and local leadership is essential.
He encouraged chiefs to work closely with youth groups and the Ghana Police Service to form local task forces that can track and disrupt the distribution of illicit drugs within communities.
Mahama also drew a clear distinction between drug users and suppliers, arguing that users should not be treated as criminals. Instead, he described them as victims of a wider criminal network that profits from addiction and exploitation.
He said the real focus should be on those who bring in and distribute large quantities of drugs, particularly tramadol, which are then sold to young people at the community level. These suppliers, he noted, often operate within local areas and must be identified and removed.
The former president urged traditional leaders to use their influence to mobilize communities against the drug trade and to strengthen cooperation with law enforcement agencies in tackling the problem.
He emphasized that ending drug abuse requires both enforcement and community responsibility, with chiefs playing a key role in safeguarding young people and protecting public health.
