The victim was introduced to drugs in 1993
A recovering drug addict, Kwarteng Richard, has shared his experience with hard substances and his road to recovery.
According to him, his friends introduced him to drugs in 1993 and he has since been an addict.
Sharing his story on Atinka TV’s morning show, Ghana Nie with Ama Gyenfa Ofosu, prior to the commemoration of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking, Mr Kwarteng said he started smoking Indian Hemp (weed) and later graduated to “harder” substances.
Walking the public through his journey, Mr Kwarteng said he had a workshop where he fixed motorbikes and generators at Avenor where one of his customers, who later became a friend introduced him to weed.
“They used to smoke when they came to my place, so one day I told him to allow me to try it. The first day I tried it I was dazed and I started eating anyhow. I started eating more than usual,” he said.
He said after they were ejected from the place he went into fixing umbrella on the street.
Although he said he mostly felt high after taking weed, it was not a good feeling.
He said although he could do his work at anytime, he couldn’t save his money.
Mr Kwarteng said one day, one of his friends brought him cocktail, which was weed mixed with cocaine.
After trying it, he disliked it and asked his friend not to bring it to him again.
But after two days, he said he felt very weak and different and his friend told him he had ‘turkey’ and so he had to find ways and means to get the cocktail and smoke it.
At some point, he said he could go and buy the cocktail himself, dosclosing how he used all the money he had to buy drugs.
The recovering drug addict admitted that quitting drugs was very difficult.
He said one day, he saw a Pastor from the Chosen Rehab Center, Pastor Bechem Solomon, preaching and decided to follow him to the Rehab Centre but after two weeks when he did not have access to drugs, he went back to the ‘ghetto’.
Mr Kwarteng said in 2021, he started selling cocaine but at some point, he wanted to quit doing drugs.
He, therefore, decided to go back to the Rehab Centre where he was received again.
Meanwhile, he said his wife and children never suspected he was a drug addict until he lost his job.
When asked how he feels after staying away from drugs, he said, “I feel good.” .
However, he said one could not come out of drugs if they do not turn to God.
Kwarteng has been out of drugs for four months through the help of the Chosen Rehab Centre.