Imagine having to arrest a drug addict who beckons you to find him a doze of the illicit drug ‘wee’ because he cannot live without it.
This is what the drug enforcement unit of the Ashanti Regional Police Command is having to grapple with on a daily basis.
The Drug Law Enforcement Unit Commander, ASP Jeremiah Alale who disclosed this to Ultimate News admitted that the trend is making the clamp down on users of narcotic drugs difficult.
He told Ultimate News’ Ivan Heathcote – Fumador “We arrest those addicts and they will be here and be asking us to give them a doze. But how can I arrest you and then give you a doze?”
“I know that when you stop them from taking it at once, they can develop withdrawal conditions and collapse and die,” he added.
He admitted that his outfit is often compelled to redirect its focus from the addicts to arresting the peddlers as their condition has gone beyond the legal remit into a health challenge.
“If you look at the guy, he has developed a psychological problem and you are taking such a person to which court? You can’t arrest him so my interest is on the sellers,” he said.
ASP Jeremiah Alale suggested that the only solution to the menace is for the State to pay critical attention to establishing more rehabilitation facilities to treat drug addicts.
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