Citizens Demand Drug-Free Liberia -March to Pressure Govt. Fight Distressing Drug Pandemic

MONROVIA – During the 2023 general and presidential elections, the then opposition Unity Party, now ruling establishment, told Liberians that the erstwhile ruling Coalition for Democratic Change government was responsible for the rampancy of drug peddling and substance abuse that was having a toll on the nation, claiming untold numbers of young people. The UP created propaganda slogans to detest the situation, promising to remedy the narcotic drug spite if Liberians let them take the national leadership. The people did, but it seems the former agitators are not holding up the promise; it is also, or badly, failing. And the chicks have come home to roast. Streets in Central Monrovia, up to Capitol Hill, were flooded yesterday with citizens chanting anti-drugs and anti-government slogans, highlighting the worsening state of the drug pandemic, and making a litany of recommendations. And on Capitol Hill, the “Enclave of Liberia Political Power”, the marchers did not only peacefully stampede to showcase their anger and disgust, they also presented a powerful resolution, as The Analyst reports.     

August 7, 2025. The day throngs of citizens rose up. The freezing storm of rains could not stop the people. Streams of them, others say 30 thousands, dressed in black, walked the streets of Central Monrovia. Not for politics. They were defiant to the temptation of silence, the stupor of partisanship, the fear of reprisal. Both ruling and opposition, as well as Liberians with no party, marched for a common future—a future brutally threatened by narcotic, synthetic and psychotropic drugs and substances.

So, as the gathered, forming human mountains before their deputies, home of the National Legislatures, the echoes of their voices were solemn but deviant and clear: “Our beloved Liberia is bleeding from within. Communities are living in fear, despair, and hopelessness. Every day, we witness the heartbreaking sights of our sons and daughters lying on street corners like the living dead. Young people with bright futures – potential doctors, teachers, engineers, and leaders – are being swallowed alive by the scourge of drugs. Across the nation, the same story echoes – marijuana, heroin, kush, cocaine, amphetamine-type stimulants (including tramadol) and intravenous drugs have invaded our land, destroying families and tearing apart the social fabric of our nation.

“Many of these illicit drugs cost as little as $0.25 each and cause zombie-like disorientation, organ damage, psychosis, illnesses, and deaths. We hear stories of parents burying their children as a result of drug overdose, and crying every day as they see their children roam the streets, begging and stealing, just to feed an addiction they cannot control. This has become the “New Normal” in Liberia. Many people do not realize the dangerous and uncontrollable pathway to drug addiction.  Although the first decision to consume an illicit drug is a choice, battling and overcoming addiction is one of the most difficult things to do.”

With heavy hearts and trembling voices, the “March Against Drug” activists said, they were concerned citizens and residents of the Republic of Liberia bringing a petition to lawmakers in a moment of national emergency, with the ultimate goal to engage the Government to put in place a plan of action to fully and viciously attack the menace of illicit drugs that has taken over the Liberian nation, through legislation, financial investment, treatment, and education. 

Justifying the March

Providing the basis of their concern, the anti-drug masses of campaigners, quoting the Global Action for Sustainable Development (GASD) April 2023 Report, said Monrovia and its surroundings account for about 65% of the substance consumption spaces, with over 866 ghettos where illicit drug activities are carried out, that serve as home to an estimated 100,000 plus chronic drug users.

According to them, the lack of treatment has increased the death rate of users, particularly attributed to the introduction of KUSH and the prevalence of TB and other illnesses, and that the Esther Grant Hospital, an eighty (80) bed psychiatric hospital, is the only government facility providing treatment services for substance users in Liberia, with no government drug rehabilitation centers to effectively combat drug use.

The Liberian Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) and Liberian National Police (LNP) are the main agencies charged with managing drug-related crimes; however, both agencies are grossly under-resourced, the anti-drug marchers continued, indicating that in June 2022, the Government and its international partners launched a national fund drive to support the rehabilitation and empowerment of at-risk youth, with an estimated $ 13.5 million budget.

“To date, the Government has committed $1 million during the launch and allocated an additional $1.2 million in the LDEA FY 2023 budget,” said the demonstrators who added that the US International Narcotic & Law Enforcement provides technical support to the LDEA, which has helped with the confiscation of huge consignments of illicit substances but that with its current capacity, the LDEA is unable to professionally implement and enforce the Liberian Drug Law.

From 2021-2022 fiscal years the LDEA was allotted over US$800,000 as operations fund, but it is unclear if it actually received the full amount from the Ministry of Finance & Development Planning, said the organizers of the anti-drug event.

The paradox of pandemic

The marches observed that while the victims of drug addiction waste away, the real enemies who are the drug traffickers and dealers walk free, shielded by weak laws, easy bail conditions, lenient sentences and accomplices in positions of authority.

According to them, the real culprits profit from the destruction of the nation’s children, the tears of mothers and fathers, and the collapse of our communities.

“While families grieve and communities are collapsing, traffickers continue to operate with impunity,” they said. “This cannot continue! We refuse to idly watch an entire generation perish! We refuse to remain silent any longer! Today we marched not only in protest but in purpose, not as victims but as visionaries.”

Quoting Article 11(c) of the Liberian Constitution, which obliges the government to ensure that “all persons are equal before the law and are therefore entitled to the equal protection of the law,” the anti-drug protestors said protecting the citizenry, the youth and communities from the deadly grip of drugs is not just a moral duty of the Government, but is also a Constitutional obligation.

Litany of Suggestions for Progress

On the basis of the foresaid, the citizens demanded immediate and decisive actions by government as to save the nation from this drug menace.

To the Legislative Branch of Government, they demanded that they amend the current Drug law through citizens’ participation, to impose a minimum 20 years to life prison sentence for anyone found guilty of drug-related felonies of the 1^st degree.

“The current law prescribes 10 to 20 years for first-degree drug-related felonies but that “these light sentences have failed and the law must be a true deterrent,” the group further said, proposing that government make rehabilitation mandatory for apprehended drug users on bail or imprisoned.

While the current Drug Law allows for drug users to have bail when apprehended in the act, bail without rehabilitation perpetuates the vicious cycle, the protesters also said. “Additionally, the current law provides that when convicted, the judge may order rehabilitation as an alternative to imprisonment, rehabilitation must be mandatory even if convicted and imprisoned.”

They called for directing of the Executive to confiscate and sell/auction all assets and properties acquired through the illicit drug trade, and redirect these resources to mental health and rehabilitation programs, and to include carriers of passengers and cargo by land, air and water being liable for the transportation of drugs on their carriers.

“That airlines and ships on which traffickers transport drugs are fined US $100,000 for first offense, US$250,000 for second offense and a total ban on the airline for third offense, while vehicles, bikes, pehn-pehn and other land carriers are confiscated, sold and proceeds transferred to mental health, prevention, rehabilitation and reintegration programs,” recommended the ant-drug activist who also called for the amending the Revenue Code to remove tariffs on the importation of drug treatment supplies, and the establishment of a specialized court for drug-related cases.

The group also recommended the establishment of the Liberia Drug Prevention & Rehabilitation Agency as proposed by Global Action for Sustainable Development to be the statutory body to lead and coordinate national efforts at addressing the issue of drugs through prevention, rehabilitation, reintegration and prosecution of offenders.

“Reduce your salaries and benefits and increase funding for the At-Risk Youth & Rehabilitation programs,” said the activist.         

To the Executive Branch of Government, the citizens demanded: issue an Executive Order to declare illicit drugs a national pandemic like Ebola & COVID and implement the following actions to give substance to the Order; declare August 7 annually as Liberia’s National Anti-Drug Day; establish a joint Presidential Anti-Drug Task Force (PADTF) to include Civil Society, AFL, LNP, LIS, LNBA to work along with LDEA, with the responsibility to create awareness, set up a call center, follow up on drug-related cases from reporting to prosecution, and ensure the implementation of the President’s mandates.

They also called for the empowerment of law enforcement agencies, through adequate budgetary allocation and plans, to fight the war on drugs and strengthen border controls; increase of budgetary allotments to at-risk youth programs, since the budgetary allotment for these programs was drastically reduced to $915,000 in FY2024 and $500,000 in FY2025.

“This signifies a trend of lower priority being given to the threat to at-risk youth when compared to FY2023,” the citizens also indicated, adding that with the looming crisis that illicit drug use has created, they think the Government would be taking the opposite trend of increasing funding for such programs.

Also recommended by the citizens is the establishing and providing of budgetary allocation for regional National Rehabilitation Centers and programs throughout the nation and in the prisons; and provision of budgetary subsidy to private rehabilitation centers.

While calling for making drug rehabilitation at Government facilities free of charge, as many of the persons afflicted are unable to afford to get the necessary help and this makes the problem worse because it costs less to get access to most drugs than it does to get clean, the Liberian citizens in the anti-drug march also suggest the issuance of an Executive Order to remove tariffs on the importation of drug treatment supplies.

“This will help to lower the operational costs of rehabilitation centers and enable them to provide low cost or free care to substance abusers,” asserted the citizens, who also call for the establishment of a Anti-Drug Fund and set aside a portion of taxes collected from the importation and sale of alcohol, smokes (cigarettes, hookah, cigars, etc.), and gambling to be put in this fund for the work of the Presidential Anti-Drug Task Force towards substance abuse education and public awareness programs.

“Mandate the Ministry of Education to integrate mandatory education programs on illicit drugs in the curriculum for schools – how it starts, the negative impacts, and how to avoid it; from primary to tertiary levels,” the protesters demand. “Mandate the Ministry of Health to regulate the establishment and operations of Rehabilitation Centers, ensuring that centers are operating in line with international best practices.

“Mandate the Telecommunications sector to work with GSM companies to establish toll free hotlines for people to anonymously provide intelligence and leads on drugs operations and activities in the various communities and to provide amber alerts. Offer incentives for information leading to the arrest and verified offenders. Mandate the City Corporations to address the issue of “unfinished buildings” in communities that are prone to being use as drug dens by drug dealers. Mandate the Ministry of Youth & Sports to provide opportunities for employment and vocational training opportunities for survivors. Mandate the LNP to enforce the ban on alcohol, cigarettes and smokes to children under 18. Mandate the LDEA working with Immigration at the airport to implement immigration screening processes of all government officials and VIP luggage entering and leaving the country, with few exceptions. Institute a mandatory drug testing in schools and prior to employment; and Mandate the LDEA to provide monthly updates to the public on the status of the drug fight.”

Concluding the resolution presented to the Legislature, the citizens said: “

God is watching. The children of Liberia are watching.  Liberia cannot rise while her children are falling. We trust that you will hear this cry and act with urgency to protect Liberia’s future. We are ready, willing, and able to participate in any Government efforts where we may be of assistance. We demand a drug-free Liberia.

“We are not asking for vengeance. We are asking for justice and protection. We rise in alarm as illicit drugs ravage our children and communities. You must act, for if you fail to do so, Liberia will lose its next generation. Our schools will be empty, crime rates will continuously increase, and our nation will sink deeper into poverty and despair. But if you act now, you will be remembered as the leaders who stood up to save Liberia’s future.”

Receiving the Petition

The concerned citizens’ petition was received by Prince A. Toes, Montserrado County District #8 Representative Prince Toles, who said: “Today, I received the most significant Petitions from our citizens regarding the drug crisis in our nation. We stand with our citizens and will take decisive action to safeguard our country’s future.”

He will Liberia will be a “no go zone for drug importers”.