Some Ghanaian youth have found themselves in life-threatening situations due to their addiction and abuse of alcohol or hard drugs.

According to medical experts, people who find themselves addicted to drugs and alcohol mostly experience various challenges such as family problems, accidents, criminal conduct, violence, homicide/suicide, cardiovascular diseases, cirrhosis (a late-stage liver disease), and mental disorders.

This is the story of 30-year-old Kofi Owusu, who in 2007, travelled from Akyem Swedru to Accra in pursuit of greener pastures.

Unfortunately for him, the person he picked as his best friend upon arrival in Accra, during his engagement as a trotro mate, introduced him to hard drugs, i.e., cocaine.

He narrated his story to Kofi Adoma on Kofi TV, which was monitored by GhanaWeb.

"I am a light-skinned person and a school dropout. I came to Accra for greener pastures and to serve as a trotro mate. I come from a poor family. I came to Accra in 2007. When I came from Akyem Swedru to Accra, I was really handsome.

"In the course of work, I met one guy who was also a mate. He was the one who taught me how the work is done, so he became my good friend and brother.

"That guy sniffed cocaine, so he introduced me to it. My life has never been the same, ever since I started taking cocaine," he told Kofi Adoma.

Though he said the drug, which used to be sold at GHC10, is now GHC30, he cannot live without it as it has become an important thing for his survival.

"I started buying one piece for GHC10 but it has become expensive, it is now GHC30. It is very small in quantity. But without it, walking will be very difficult," he said.

He narrated that, bathing has become even more problematic because the drug, as he explained, hates water.

"The drug hates water, the water vanishes it anytime you take it. It's been 2 weeks since I had a bath, you can even smell the sharp scent coming from my body. I would love to bathe, shave my hair, and change my clothes, but I cannot," he confessed.

Kofi Owusu added that he is on the verge of death because of the constant intake of the hard drug.

"I sleep under the overhead, I have been there for years. I really want to stop, so I am pleading with Ghanaians to help me. I want to stop, but I cannot do that. There are days I try, but I end up going back. Even if I decide to go back, money for transportation will be a problem. My mom is very old. I am on the verge of death," he begged.

OGB/KPE