The menace of public sale of aphrodisiac drugs; the laws, our children, the future

In Ghana, there is an extensive over-the-counter and annoyingly public (open) dispensing of aphrodisiac and body (genital) enhancing drugs and or supplements, resulting in high levels of inappropriate use.

These products are subtly packaged with uncensored erotic images and in arrant disregards to the well-crafted laws of Ghana are displayed publicly for sale. My issue is mainly not the use of these drugs by the adults, but what do these images communicate into the minds of our children.

A youngster can't judge what is metaphorical and what is exacting: anything that gets into his/her brain at such age is probably going to get permanent and unalterable: and therefore, it is most important that the tales which the young first hear should be models of virtuous thoughts.

Contemporary concerns about shielding children and adolescents from corrupting sexual ideas are traceable directly to victorian-era fears that libidinous thoughts would lead to “secrete vice” of masturbation in the US as indicated by Marjorie Heins in her book; Not Infront of the Children, Indecency, Censorship and the Innocence of the Youth”.

In Ghana, we have put much effort into censoring our media contents both TV and print. But we have failed woefully as a state in enforcing the well-crafted laws of our land with respect to sales of drugs.

Open sale of illicit drugs and body (genital) enhancing supplements is pervasive in our market and on the streets of Tamale Metropolis. The use of aphrodisiac drugs without medical advice has damaging consequences; notably among them is reduce quality of sex in the future and diminished drive leading to addiction because you will always have to induce your virility by taking aphrodisiac.

However, that is not the concern of this article, this article is concerned with the open sale of aphrodisiac drugs with its explicit images as packages and the effect on our children. Take a gait through the streets of Tamale and ambulate through the tight narrow paths of Tamale Central Market, most commonly seen are these body (genital) enhancing and aphrodisiac products.

These products are packaged with eye-catching images that can directly send a message to your libido which will immediately trigger your drive like a man. Imagine a well curvaceous pretty fair lady with provocatively protruding boobs neatly printed naked on a package of these products.

Also, on these products are stark-naked erected long big cocks. What signal do you think these images send to the minds of our young children who are inadvertently exposed to these images at every corner of Tamale.

Meanwhile, the following laws exist in our books;

1.Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29)

Section 282 – Indecent inscriptions

A person who affixes to, or inscribed on, a place or thing so as to be visible from a public place, or affixes to, or inscribed on, a public urinal, or delivers to a person in a public place, or exhibits to public view from a building, a picture or printed or written matter of an indecent or obscene nature, commits a criminal offense and is liable to a fine not exceeding twenty-five penalty units.

Section 284 – Advertisements as to venereal disease declared indecent

i.An advertisement relating to venereal disease, nervous debility, or any other complaint or infirmity arising from or relating to sexual intercourse, and an advertisement claiming aphrodisiac properties for preparation is, for the purposes of this Act, of an indecent or obscene nature.

ii. Subsection (1) does not apply to an advertisement relating to venereal disease published by or with the authority of the Minister responsible for Health. Here, I don’t believe the open sale of these drugs is sanctioned by the minister responsible for health

According to the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, a drug is defined as a substance intended for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of diseases. The authority further classified all drugs into four (4) i.e Class A, B, C, and exempted drugs.

The Class A drugs are drugs considered by the FDA as most harmful which means it has a high tendency of being abused. All Class A drugs can only be administered based on prescription.
Unfortunately, the aphrodisiac drugs that are haphazardly sold on our street are among the Class A drugs and no authority seems to care.

Hear what the Pharmacy Act says;

2.Pharmacy Act 1994 (Act 489)

Section - 35 - Prescription for Supply Of Class A Drugs.
No pharmacist or licensed company shall supply class A drugs except under a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, a dentist, or a veterinary practitioner.

Meanwhile, these drugs are even sold on retail by unlicensed, untrained, and unscrupulous avaricious persons on our streets and the authorities sit aloof whilst the Islamic-dominated residence of Tamale remains dispassionate onlookers.

Well, we can all pretend not to see or know, but let’s be prepared, it will not be too long, we will feel the devastating impact of this among our youth.

No wonder, research findings revealed some worrying trends among the youth as; masturbation among youth is on the rise, cardiac attack among youth is on the rise, paralysis and stroke is also on the rise among the youth.
Can’t we see the decaying moral values of our societies?

Our authorities must take a serious look at this menace.
Whoever may become our new mayor should ‘fear God’ and at least work with the law enforcement agencies to curb this problem?

Thank you.