By Gloria Ikibah
In a powerful show of solidarity, Liberian youths have raised their voices against the scourge of drugs and substance abuse in their country and the sub-region.
During an interactive session with a delegation from the ECOWAS parliament, the youths urged the government to step up poverty alleviation efforts, invest in educational infrastructure, and create employment opportunities for young people. 
They also called for strengthened prevention and rehabilitation programs to support social and professional reintegration.
The gathering, which drew participants from across Monrovia, was part of an anti-drug awareness campaign.
A young man who had overcome drug addiction shared his harrowing experience, moving the audience with his testimony. He warned his peers about the dangers of substance abuse, addressing the crowd of 300 young people who had come together to declare their rejection of drugs.
The youth condemned drug cartels and detailed the devastating effects of narcotics on their generation. These repercussions include: A public health crisis (severe psychiatric disorders); A breeding ground for gangs and traffickers (recruitment of vulnerable youth by criminal networks in disadvantaged areas); A surge in delinquency (theft and violent crimes to fund addiction, exacerbating urban insecurity); School dropouts (particularly prevalent in underprivileged communities).
The Liberian Minister of Youth and Sports, who attended the event, acknowledged that the proliferation of drugs and addiction constitutes a national health emergency.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to addressing the root causes of the issue.
This commitment has been demonstrated through: expanded public awareness campaigns; large-scale rehabilitation of social and vocational reintegration centers; the construction of a neuropsychiatric hospital.
Additionally, an interministerial task force has been established to combat drug abuse, comprising representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, and the Liberian Drug Enforcement Agency. Eo
The event was preceded by a two-kilometer march, symbolizing the youth’s collective stance: “No to drugs, yes to life.”
