The Deputy Greater Accra Regional Head at the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Mr Rees Oduro says moral deviance is not the only cause of drug addicts but genetic factors and environmental factors can cause people to do drugs and get addicted to them.
He observed that most of the time, people blame it on moral deviance or say the person was not well trained when someone does drugs.
Mr Rees Oduro said this on Atinka TV’s morning show, Ghana Nie with Ama Gyenfa Ofosu Darkwa ahead of the International Day against Drug Abuse and illicit trafficking also known as the World Drug Day.
Read Also: Alcohol is also drugs, just like tobacco – Rees Oduro
International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is commemorated on 26th of June every year across the world.
Supported each year by individuals, communities, and various organizations all over the world, this global observance aims to raise awareness of the major problem that illicit drugs represent to society.
Mr Rees Oduro said,”Most of the times, when someone does drugs, we blame it on moral deviancy, and say the person was not well trained and that the person is deviant.”
He continued, “However, research has demonstrated that it is not always the case that such individuals are bad or lacked proper upbringing; there are genetic and environmental factors that can drive someone to use drugs, become addicted, and then develop mental health issues. Having mental issues does not entail being nude, but if you must consume alcohol before eating in the morning, and if you cannot eat before 8 a.m. if you do not consume alcohol, it indicates that the brain has been affected.”
He explained that before 2020, the law being used against drugs was PNDC law 236, which stated that if someone smokes weed and is caught, he or she should be arrested and jailed for five years or more .
However, he noted that the Act 10:19 has brought changes, explaining that this new law mandates interpreters to make drug use disorder a public health issue instead of a criminal case.
“As a result, if we find you in possession of marijuana for personal use, we will arrest you and send you to court to be prosecuted, but we have removed the jail sentence. We will assess a sanction of at least 200 or 500 penalty units against you. If we find you smoking or possessing a single cigarette, we will punish you with 200 to 500 units. But if you do not pay the fine, you will spend 15 months in prison,” he said.
Mr. Rees Oduro reiterated, “If we catch you holding or smoking weed and during the court process we are able to establish that you are sick from substance use disorder or you are addicted or a ‘junkie,’ which are negative terms we normally do not use, a certified doctor is able to tell that you are addicted, then it becomes a mental issue, and when it becomes a mental issue, you do not need to imprison or fine the individual. It is up to the judge to determine whether we should send the individual to a rehabilitation center based on his observations.”
For those who traffic the illicit substances, he said they will suffer not less than 10,000 penalty units and not more than 25,000 penalty units in addition to not less than 10 years and not more than 25 years imprisonment.
He said those who are not able to pay the fine will receive 3 more years jail term in addition to the years given by the judges.
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