By Hassan Osman Kargbo

As the menace of drug in the country is becoming alarming, a Civil Society Activist Matilda Ekan Sonsiama, has in a press conference confirmed that women are more addicted to drug than men in the country.

She made this statement on Tuesday 22 August 2023, at the weekly press conference organized by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs conference room, Tower Hill Freetown.

According to Madam Matilda, women are not only partakers of these drugs, majority of them are drugs dealers.

She narrated to the media a story about an energetic woman in her community whom she mentioned seriously in the business of drug.

She continued that some women take drugs as a result of trauma, unemployment and other family issues that they normally faced, disclosing such development does not send a good signal and she therefore urged government through the security sectors to up there games by clamping down on perpetrators especially the importers of drugs in the country.

‘Many women are in this drug business to raised fast money while others are doing the said business to support their children. Some have been addicted to drugs because of trauma, unemployment and a host of other things, she said.

A senior psychiatrist specialist, Kissy Psychiatrist Hospital, Dr. Abdul Jalloh revealed that 63% of mental illness at Kissy mental hospital is as a result of these substance abuses in the country.

He noted that 30% of the cases are due to tramadol intake, 63% are due to kush. He said that 72% of youth are within the age of 20-34 years. He added that within two years, drug abuse in the country has risen from 2% to 40%.

Dr. Jalloh said rapid increase of drug abuse in the country is a big problem and therefore difficult for health care providers to fight it alone.

Dr. Jalloh called on all and sundry to come on board to fight the menace of drug, single out Kush because of its potential of memory lost resulting to abnormal behavior with in society.

‘This fight is not only meant for the government, but it is a fight for all simply because Kush can lead to memory lost, aggressive and abnormal behavior in society.’ He stated.

Dr. Jalloh advised the general public for them not to criminalized or blamed drug addicts for their abnormal behavior in the society as the chemical used in processing the substance is what is causing more harm leading to brain damage.