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A Narcotics Control Commission Bill has been approved by cabinet which will subsequently be sent to Parliament for consideration and passage into law to effectively deal with drug and substance abuse in the country.

Mr Michael Addo, Deputy Executive Secretary of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) made this known on behalf of Mr Francis Torkornu, Executive Secretary of NACOB at a training programme on Drug and Substance Abuse Prevention organized for Community Anti Drug Coalition members at Aburi in the Eastern region .

It was organized by the Community Anti Drug Coalition of America (CADCA) in collaboration with Philip Foundation.

Mr Michael Addo said fighting drug and substance abuse is a shared responsibility and commended CADCA, Philip Foundation and the the Community Anti Drug Coalition members in the country for their efforts in the fight against drugs and substance abuse in the country.

The Executive Director of Philip Foundation, Mr Philip Boateng said no community can prosper in a situation of violence, lawlessness, robberies and accidents which sometimes occur through the influence of drug and substance abuse.

According to him legalising marijuana use in Ghana as done in some countries will have dangerous consequences on the development of the country.

He also urged government to allocate more resources for community anti drug and substance abuse education programs in the country.

The Bill, which was laid in Parliament last year, was not passed due to challenges including the busy schedule of parliamentarians within the election year and the absence of stakeholder consultations before the laying of the Bill in Parliament.

The Bill is expected to elevate the Board’s status to a commission, expand its powers and also resource it to enable it to better discharge its duties.