MONROVIA: The President of the University of Liberia, Dr. Julius Sarwolo Nelson, is urging the Liberian government to apply all efforts to stop illicit drugs from entering Liberia.
He said the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA’s) continuous efforts to raid ghettos or other areas suspected of being places where drugs are sold in various communities in the country are commendable.
However, he said it is essential for national government to do all within its powers to empower the LDEA and other security institutions to prevent it from entering the country.
According to him, it is also commendable for the LDEA and its Liberian security partners who have made tremendous strides to reduce the trafficking of narcotics substances.
The UL President spoke through his proxy Dr. Ezekiel F. Hallie, Associate Professor and Dean of the School of Pharmacy at the University of Liberia during the official launch of program Against Illicit Drugs and Child Right Abuse.
The program held, at the Ford Maiden Christian Academy on Monday June 26, 2023, in Sinkor Old road, in Monrovia, was in Observance of World Drugs Day.
Dr. Nelson said, drugs abuse is detrimental, and that excessive drug usage is a worldwide problem.
Commenting on the risk of using drugs, Dr. Nelsons stressed that, Illicit or illegal drugs have a range of harmful effects – both short and long term.
He said the short-term health harms are those that can occur as a result of an episode of use, or, in the case of medications, inappropriate use.
He stated that, these vary markedly depending on the drug being used (type, amount etc) and may be from the drug itself or from the manner in which the drug is taken.
“A person is described as having taken an overdose if they suffer a medical emergency as a result of accidentally or intentionally using a larger amount of a drug than normal” he noted.
He further indicated that, this type of overdose can result from both taking too much of a prescribed drug or too much of an illicit drug or a combination of drugs.
He pointed out that, the amount of a drug needed to cause an overdose varies because it depends on how tolerant a person is to the drug, how pure the drug is and whether the person has been drinking alcohol or has also taken a combination of over-the-counter, prescription or other illicit drugs.
“Medications or pharmaceuticals are also drugs and are regulated differently dependent on their level of health risk, you need a doctor’s prescription for some medications, but all medications have risks, even those sold over-the-counter at the pharmacist or supermarket, especially if not they are taken as prescribed or intended” he said.
For his part, the chief Executive officer of the Organization called” Stop Drugs In Liberia” Mr. Daniel B. Yegba, lauded the participants for gracing the program and said his organization will continue to provide awareness and education to the public beginning from various schools in the country on the danger of drugs in the country.
By T.R Dixon
