While the launch of Liberia’s new Community Anti-Drug Action Team (CADAT) has been welcomed as a bold grassroots step in the fight against illicit drugs, the non-inclusion of the media, a significant voice in the campaign, has left many wondering about the true intent of the nationwide campaign.
The Multi-Sectoral Steering Committee on Drugs and Substance Abuse, in partnership with local authorities, unveiled CADAT as a 15-member community team to educate, monitor, and collaborate with law enforcement in curbing drugs. Members include youth, women’s groups, civil society, health practitioners, religious leaders, and security agencies.
Yet, community radios and media professionals; the very voices that drive awareness, shape opinion, and reach the remotest towns and villages were not included.
Rural Reporters News Network warns that this gap could weaken public awareness and early warning efforts, since the media plays a frontline role in: Exposing drug networks, educating citizens on the dangers of substance abuse, promoting whistleblower and reporting hotlines and mobilizing communities for collective action.
The fight against drugs cannot be won if the media is sidelined. The media, especially, community radios must not be seen as spectators. They are the heartbeat of awareness in our villages, towns, and cities.
The CADAT slogans, “Your Voice, Your Power, Your Community-Together Against Drugs and Substance Abuse. Strong Communities, Drug-Free Liberia!” cannot be realized without a formal place for the media/community radios at the table.
The Steering Committee is being urged to revise CADAT’s composition to include media representatives at both national and community levels – ensuring that the message of a drug-free Liberia is not just planned in meetings but heard loud and clear across every county.
The warning is clear: If the media is left out, the drug fight may fail in reaching the people who matter most.
