The Life out of Alcohol and Drugs (LOAD) Ghana, has marked its 10 years anniver­sary, with a call on Ghanaian youth to desist any temptation to indulge in drug use.The organisation also encouraged the youth to fiercely channel their energy toward support­ing the government to step up efforts to destroy the networks that partici­pated in illegal drug traffick­ing.Speaking at the forum organised in Bolgatanga, the Upper East Region capital, the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for LOAD Ghana, Mr Roger Atambire Abaa, rallied all stakeholders to support the organisation engage in a vigorous campaign against the menace of drug misuse, otherwise called substance abuse.The CEO admitted encoun­tering difficulties in his stance to battle alco­holism and drug abuse amongst the youth in the region, but was quick to say he was not relenting on that task, "because we need responsible people to help grow the region".Mr Abaa said the issue of drug abuse and illicit trafficking was get­ting out of hand, hence required a comprehensive approach to stamping it out."We must unite to fight drugs and stop killing one another.

Drugs and alcohol have claimed many lives in the region," he said, adding it had dealt a huge blow to productivity in the region, as most of the deaths recorded were the productive youth population.Mr Abaa recounted the odds he braved when he birthed the idea to establish the organisation, and stated that he had to resign from a well-paying job (the Ghana Na­tional Fire Service) following some incessant pressure from higher authorities, to pursue his dream of helping the addicted folk to be rehabilitated, so as to enable them to lead responsible lives worthy of emulation.The P.

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V Ansah Journalist of the Year (2023), Edward Adeti, hailed the CEO for his consistent resolve to ensuring there was some recovery of drug addicts.He mentioned that Mr Abaa was very passionate and vocifer­ous about putting an end to the phenomenon of drug abuse and alcoholism, "and he had to leave a well-paying job to pursue this enterprise."We all know he was with the GNFS, not just a low-ranking of­ficer but a senior officer.