Speaking with One Voice in the Fight against Drugs and Substance Abuse in Liberia

August 7, 2025, will go down in history as the day when thousands of Liberians from all sectors gathered in an anti-drug march against illicit drugs and substance abuse in Liberia.

The marchers began their march from the Invincible Park in Monrovia. They paraded to the Capitol Building, where they presented a petition to the government calling for swift and immediate actions to halt the smuggling and use of illicit drugs and narcotic substances in Liberia.

The marchers were made up of members of civil society groups, government workers, student organizations, youth networks, and religious leaders carrying banners and placards, calling for serious, decisive, and practical actions from the Liberian government to curb the wave of drug abuse and smuggling, which is affecting the population.

In their petition titled: “A Cry to Save a Dying Generation and Protect Our Future,” the marchers noted that their ultimate goal is to engage the government to put in place measures to fully and viciously attack the menace of illicit drugs that have taken over Liberia through legislation, financial investment, treatment, and education.

The petitioners also called on the Liberian Legislature to:

Amend the drug law through citizens’ participation to impose a minimum of twenty years to life sentence for anyone found guilty of drug-related felonies of the first degree. The current drug law requires 10-20 years for first-degree drug felonies.

Make rehabilitation mandatory for apprehended drug users on bail or imprisoned. The current drug law allows for users caught in the act to have bail.

The drug crisis in Liberia has reached epidemic proportions, threatening national security, public health, and social cohesion. It is estimated that 2 in every 10 young Liberians are addicted to narcotic substances, with the rate higher in densely populated and economically marginalized communities in Monrovia.

Addiction among school children is said to be common, with many communities playing host to ghettos and drug users.

Partner organizations from the Civil Peace Service Liberia Network also formed part of the anti-drug march. The use of illicit drugs and substance abuse in Liberia has become a serious threat to peace and national security, prompting Civil Peace Service, Mano River Union members from Liberia and Sierra Leone to commit to using their platforms, voices and resources in helping to combat drug and substance abuse in the MRU, during a meeting in Monrovia from October 28 to November 1, 2024.

The prevalence of drug abuse among Liberian youth is alarmingly high, with significant implications for the country’s future. According to the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), 2 in 10 youths in Liberia are deeply involved in the consumption of narcotic substances.

The marchers wore black, carrying placards and chanted slogans, “Say No to Drugs,” “We are tired of Kush,” and “No more Zombies.” They highlighted the devastating effects the use of illicit drugs, especially Kush, Cocaine, Italian white, and Marijuana, are having on families and communities in Liberia.

The marchers also called for accountability among public officials, including lawmakers and law enforcement officers, who they alleged are complicit in protecting drug traffickers and undermining national efforts to combat the crisis.

Among the demands of the petitioners are the mandatory rehabilitation for users, the confiscation of traffickers’ assets, and the establishment of a specialized anti-drug court. Protesters are also calling for the creation of a national rehabilitation agency, reduced tariffs on treatment supplies, and the allocation of a portion of alcohol and gambling taxes to an Anti-Drug Fund. “We are not asking for vengeance. We are asking for justice and protection,” the petitioners noted.

Addressing both the Legislature and the Executive, the petitioners called for a comprehensive inter-agency response, including mandatory drug testing in schools and for job seekers, curriculum reform in public education, greater border security, and even military involvement to root out trafficking. The protesters emphasized that this is not just a call for enforcement, but for public health, education, and youth empowerment

Liberia is among the countries in the region that are struggling with a surge in the number of at-risk youths, who live on the streets, suffering from drug addiction.

According to the Global Action for Sustainable Development (GASD) April 2023 Report, Monrovia and its surroundings account for about 65% of the substance consumption spaces, with over 866 ghettos, where illicit drug activities are carried out, serving as homes to over 100,000 chronic drug users.