By Olimatou Coker
The Chairman of DLEAG has said that the government of the Gambia is highly committed to fight against drug menace.
This is demonstrated by the ratification and domestication of international convention and protocols relating to drug trafficking, he added.
Lamin A. Camara made the remarks on Tuesday during the commemoration of international day against drug abuse & illicit drug trafficking held at the PIA in Bakau.
“The Gambia like other countries in the sub-region has been a target for the transit of illicit drugs such as cocaine and heroin. The spillover effect will leave some of these drugs either in the local market as payment for services rendered or as a source of profit for the traffickers leading to local consumption,” he said.
He added that the Gambia is willing to strengthen its bilateral and multi-lateral co-operation with source and destination countries of illicit drugs.
For his part, director general of DLEAG, Bakary Gassama, said the theme for this year’s celebration is “listening to children and youth is the first step to help them grow healthy and safe”.
“This theme is both appropriate and suitable.
Children and youth seem to be the most vulnerable group as regards the abuse of drug yet they remain prestigious to every nation. There is no doubt that young people constitute the greater percentage of the world’s active work force in all productive sectors,” he noted.
According to director Gassama, the general assembly decided to observe 26 June as international day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking as an expression of its determination to strengthen action and cooperation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse.
Also speaking, the representative of the mayor of KMC, Dembo SN Sanneh, who also doubles as the director of compliance KMC, said this campaign was first launched in 2016.
Other speakers included the director of health promotion, Momodou Njie.
