By Jerry Azanduna
Yeji, Bono East, Feb. 7, GNA – The Bono East Regional Command of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has sensitized and counselled inmates and personnel of the Yeji Prisons Camp in the Pru East District on the dangers associated with illicit drug use and substance abuse.
The beneficiaries were educated on the health risks of drug abuse and its broader implications on individuals, families, and society.
Mr Sulemana Mahama, Head of the Education Team at the Bono East NACOC Regional Command, said the Commission remained committed to intensifying public sensitization on the harmful effects of illicit drugs.
He noted that community and institutional engagement formed a key component of NACOC’s national strategy to curb drug abuse, and encouraged the inmates to embrace behavioural change.
He stressed that personal reformation was essential for the successful reintegration of inmates into society after serving their sentences, adding that “change is a choice, achievable through self‑discipline and personal determination.”
Mr Mahama explained that the outreach formed part of the Commission’s ongoing public education and prevention programmes aimed at reducing drug-related harm.
Chief Superintendent of Prisons Eli Buasti, Officer‑in‑Charge of the Yeji Camp, commended NACOC for the initiative, describing the sensitization exercise as insightful and beneficial to both inmates and prison personnel.
He urged them to abstain from illicit drugs, emphasizing that abuse of such substances was not only a criminal offence but also detrimental to their health and wellbeing.
The Commission’s counselling unit later engaged inmates and personnel in one‑on‑one sessions and conducted screening for selected inmates to assess health conditions associated with substance abuse, offering guidance and appropriate referrals.
GNA
Edited by Dennis Peprah/Lydia Kukua Asamoah