A former Ghanaian BBC journalist has opened up on his drug addiction since 1982 when he became a drug peddler.

It will be recalled that the former BBC journalist Paa Joe Odonkor revealed in an interview last year why he left his promising international career to become a drug dealer, commanding over $162,000, an equivalent of GHS728,336 in 1982 until he got busted in March 1984.

A year on, one would think that the journalist-turned drug peddler has quit drugs and doing something better with his life but the situation hasn’t changed, it remains the same according to Paa Joe.

In an interview on SVTV Africa, Paa Joe Odonkor told host DJ Nyaami that, a year on after he opened up on his drug peddling career, he is still battling with drugs despite the countless efforts to quit.

“If I tell you after a year I have stopped doing drugs, I would be lying to God and myself. The thing is in my system and until I get a good rehabilitation center, I can’t stop taking drugs. People say once you get into it, you can get out at any time you want, that’s a lie…..unless you get a good rehab centre to wash your system completely because you become addicted after some time and the system gets saturated with drugs”

On whether he would like to quit or stop taking drugs, Paa Joe said, “Absolutely! If I get someone who will take me to a proper rehab center where there are doctors who will take you through the system”

He added that, although he was satisfied with his BBC job at the time, his lifestyle was "so big" that he had to look for a different source of income to sustain it and that’s what got him into drug peddling.

He advised the youth to desist from drugs or any other vices that will not help them.

Paa Joe Odonkor furthered that, he is writing a book on drugs to advice the youth not to venture in drugs.

“I’ve started writing a book but had to put it on hold due to lack of funds. The thing is, I don’t have any experience, like banking or football, I don’t have any experience but when it comes to drugs, from processing it to heroin and cocaine, if awards were to be given, I would be more than a PhD holder or pass a Professor. So I really want to write a book to advise the youth because drugs can destroy both your spiritual and social life”

Paa Joe Odonkor called on government and corporate Ghana to help curb the menace of drug abuse in Ghana.

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