The Chief of Mamfe in the Eastern Region, Nana Ansah Sasraku III, has called on parents, teachers and community leaders to create safe and supportive environments where young people can openly discuss their struggles and seek help before turning to drugs.
He said the fight against drug abuse should go beyond warnings and punishment, stressing that young people who felt seen, heard, loved and valued were less likely to seek comfort in drugs.
“We must listen to them. We must understand them. We must create homes, schools and communities where they feel safe enough to ask for help before they make irreversible choices,” he said.
Nana Sasraku, who is also the Founder and Chairman of the JAPO RED Foundation, made the call at a drug abuse sensitisation symposium for students of Okuapeman Senior High School in the Akuapem North District of the Eastern Region.
The programme formed part of activities to mark this year’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
It was organised by the JAPO RED Foundation in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC).
Personal tragedy
Giving insight into the personal story behind the establishment of the foundation, Nana Sasraku III said his family had witnessed the devastating impact of drug abuse through the life of his late relative, Samuel Kwabena Mfoafo Akuffo-Parry, affectionately known as Japo Red.
According to him, Japo Red was a young man from the Mamfe royal family who was admired for his intelligence, confidence and friendly personality.
He said Japo Red had dreams of one day becoming the Chief of Mamfe-Akuapem, but his life took a different turn after he was introduced to marijuana through peer influence while in secondary school.
Nana Sasraku said Japo Red’s mental health began to deteriorate in his early twenties, leading to more than 40 years of struggles with addiction and mental illness.
“Our family watched helplessly. We prayed. We hoped. We sought help. But every day reminded us that drugs do not only destroy one person. They break hearts, exhaust families, drain resources, rob communities of future leaders and steal dreams that can never be recovered,” he said.
He explained that the painful experience inspired the establishment of the JAPO RED Foundation to prevent other families from going through similar experiences.
“Let the story of Japo Red not end with sorrow. Let it become a beacon of hope, let it become a warning, let it become a reason why another young person chooses life instead of drugs,” he stressed.
Nana Sasraku also advised the students not to allow curiosity, peer pressure or the desire for acceptance to push them into experimenting with drugs.
He said addiction often started with seemingly harmless experimentation, with young people believing they could stop whenever they wanted.
“Have the courage to say no. No to drugs, no to unhealthy friendships and no to anything that steals your purpose,” he told the students.
He reaffirmed the commitment of traditional leaders to work with NACOC, the GES, health professionals, civil society organisations, faith-based organisations and development partners to protect young people from drug abuse.
In the same vein, the Director of Operations at NACOC, Solomon Stanley Eyo, also cautioned the students that drug abuse was a real threat to their future.
“You cannot progress in life if you start using drugs at this age,” he said.
The Member of Parliament for Akuapem North, Sammi Awuku, advised the students to take responsibility for their decisions and carefully consider the kind of lives they wanted to live after school.
He reminded them that they were the drivers of their own destinies and that the choices they made today could determine their future.
