Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has unveiled fresh government strategies aimed at stopping the influx of highly addictive opioids into Ghana.

A BBC report recently uncovered that the pharmaceutical firm Aveo had been unlawfully distributing a dangerous combination of tapentadol and carisoprodol to Ghana and other West African nations.

Addressing Parliament, Akandoh stated that a coordinated task force involving security agencies is ramping up efforts to block the entry of these harmful drugs into the country.

"A Joint Task Force involving the FDA, the Narcotics Control Commission, Customs and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has intensified checks at little entry points to prevent further unauthorised imports leading to disruption of a large consignment of Tramador and similar drugs."

He also stated that regulatory bodies have strengthened supervision of pharmaceutical sales points, highlighting that "inspections have been intensified and legal action taken against offenders."

At the same time, Korle Klottey MP, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, and Lambussie MP, Prof. Titus Beyuo, both medical professionals, have raised concerns over the devastating effects of these substances on their communities, citing their strong addictive properties.

Addressing Parliament, Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings remarked that the situation unfolding is "particular phenomenon that we're witnessing is quite shocking."

"As a matter of fact, in my constituency, we have a cluster of schools, the Nii Amugi Cluster of Schools where people who are addicted to drugs have actually invaded the premises, where they harass children, they harass the teachers, and in the last three weeks, one of the security personnel in the school was attacked by a gang of drug addicts and is now at the 37 Military Hospital in a coma.

"Mr Speaker, the ramifications of this illicit drug inflow into Ghana go beyond the large scale, but it's affecting people's lives, it's affecting the security in our schools, it's affecting the security of our ordinary citizens," he added.

Frank Annoh-Dompreh, the Minority Chief Whip, called on the government to allocate adequate resources to tackle the influx of these harmful drugs.