Health authorities in Kumasi alarmed over sharp increase in synthetic drug abuse
Dr. Fred Adomako-Boateng, the Ashanti Regional Health Director, revealed that substances such as cannabis and alcohol now account for over 55% of all substance-induced psychiatric admissions in Kumasi and neighboring districts. He stated that emergency rooms in the Ashanti region have seen a 30% increase in acute psychosis cases linked directly to cheap synthetic mixtures over the past 12 months. Dr. Adomako-Boateng said, "It's a local crisis actually. The prevalence and incidence in Ashanti region shows that we are increasingly having high psychiatric numbers in our facility, and community surveillance paints a worrying picture of the situation."
The health authorities are worried the region is faced with an influx of "Kush" and other chemical mixtures. Dr. Adomako-Boateng observed that the global drug challenge is fundamentally shifting from traditional plant-based cultivation to synthetic manufacturing. This transformation is supported by digital illicit marketplaces, complex trafficking networks, and modern digital payment systems. This shift is manifesting in lethal ways, with a rising popularity of tramadol, methamphetamine analogues, and chemically adulterated shisha in Ghana.
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Health authorities in Kumasi are alarmed over a sharp increase in synthetic drug abuse, with substances like cannabis and alcohol now accounting for
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