Bollore Engages Communities On Dangers Of Drug & Alcohol Abuse

On Sunday 12 February 2023, the Freetown Terminal engaged residents and youths at the Moa wharf and Sea Side Communities about drug and alcohol abuse.Gassimu Fofanah, Public Relations Officer of the Freetown Terminal (Bollore), during the sensitization exercise, said that the initiative started in 2022, with the aim of sensitizing youths about the dangers of abuse of drugs and alcohol, furthering that this engagement is a continuation of the same initiative. He said that they are targeting the communities that are in their area of operation, which are the Moa Wharf and the Sea Side Communities.In his contribution, Ibrahim Samuel Dugba, Core Drug Educator of the National Drug Enforcement Agency, stated that the two key issues that are affecting the youths the illegal in take of drugs and the effect of these Drugs, furthering that the legal drugs in use in the country are Relief and Tramadol, but these are prescribed drugs from Medical Doctors, but bemoaned the manners the youths are taking them, not as prescribed by a doctor, but to get high, which is very harmful to them. Most of them take four or five tablets in one go. These youths buy these drugs from Pharmacies and are not on any medical prescription, and this is what is called Drug Abuse.He said that for Illegal Drugs, these are drugs that affect the human cells when take in, such as kush and Marijuana. These harmful drugs enter the country through trafficking by peddlers and smugglers, and this makes these drugs illegal drugs, as they are not legally sold in the pharmacy or prescribed by any medical professional. Youths consuming these drugs get high and often are addicted to these drugs, adding that when addicted, they have a constant urge to take more of the drugs When consumed, the drugs increase the high blood pressure of their bodies. He maintained that this addiction can be treat through therapy.In his statement,Mohamed Lamin Yansaneh, National Youth Service Volunteer, said that these drugs can be avoided, and called on people to talk with those that addicted, and it is easy to identify them,as they will be behaving abnormally. He urged people to meet and advice them against the use of illegal drugs, and to also encourage them to avoid wrong peer groups.Foday sesay, a survivor from drug abuse and alcohol, in his testimony, said that drug abuse contributed to him dropping out of college, resulting in his family abandoning him, but with the help of the National drugs Enforcement Agency, he is now ok. Chairmen of the two communities, Lamin Kamara, appreciated the work of Freetown Terminal (Bollore) for this good initiative to help the youths of the Communities.