Liberia News: LDEA Commences Prevention, Community Outreach Services

By Perry B. Zordyu

The Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency’s Prevention and Community Outreach Services Section continued its ongoing awareness campaign across Montserrado County, with a special exercise held during the Henry Reeves Cooper Lecture Series at the Ebenezer United Methodist Church on Lynch Street, Monrovia.

The event was part of the church’s 67^th Anniversary celebration held on Friday, October 11, 2024. The team also visited several other schools including the J.W. Harris School in Bushrod Island, the D. Tweh Jr & Sr high School in New Kru Town, Greater Vision Christian School also in New Kru Town.

Speaking at the event, LDEA’s Chief of Prevention, Special Agent Grace Mulbah and Deputy Special Agent Nyanfor highlighted the alarming rise in drug addiction among young people in Liberia emphasizing the urgent need for prevention efforts, especially within the youth and religious communities.

Special Agent Mulbah stressed the importance of early intervention through awareness campaigns, stating that prevention is better than cure. She lamented that drugs distort reality for users, leading them to see imaginary things and engage in harmful behaviors, including theft and violence which she said are detrimental effects of drug use.

Madam Mulbah urged the public to invest more in drug prevention initiatives, noting that addiction not only harms the individual but also poses a danger to society as a whole.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Nyanfor echoed the damaging effects drugs have on education and the long-term health of young people. He said the neurological impact of drug use can lead to mental instability, brain damage, and the deterioration of social relationships.

Nyanfor also noted how drug use often leads to social isolation, with addicts being viewed as burdens to society, causing fear and mistrust within their communities. During the event, LDEA officers called on national and international partners, as well as the wider Liberian community, to support their efforts in drug prevention adding more education on drug abuse needs to be done, increased awareness campaigns, and the establishment of rehabilitation programs, workshops, and seminars among others urging churches, mosques, schools, and communities in the fight against drugs through the use of social media platforms to reach a broader audience.

The LDEA urged the government and civil society to prioritize mental health programs and mentorship initiatives to steer the younger generation away from the dangers of drug addiction, ensuring a safer and healthier future for all Liberians.