By Socrates Smythe Saywon
MONROVIA – The Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Health, has announced a sweeping ban on shisha and placed a nationwide moratorium on the sale and distribution of tramadol as part of efforts to combat the country’s escalating drug epidemic.
In a press release issued on Thursday, August 21, 2025, and signed by Health Minister Dr. Louise M. Kpoto, the Ministry declared that the measures are in line with Part V, Chapter 41 of the Public Health Law, which governs the control of narcotic drugs in Liberia.
“The Ministry of Health announces the intensified enforcement of Part V, Chapter 41 of the Public Health Law (Control of Narcotic Drugs), which strictly prohibits the possession, sale, or distribution of prescriptive or non-prescriptive drugs for wholesale or manufacturing without a permit issued by the Liberian Pharmacy Board and approved by the Minister of Health,” the release stated.
Effective Friday, August 22, 2025, tramadol use will be restricted only to licensed hospital settings under professional medical supervision, while shisha has been completely banned in all public and private facilities, including bars, entertainment centers, and even homes.
The Ministry warned that violators of the directive will face “immediate penalties, including arrest, license revocation, and product seizure.”
According to the release, tramadol, a synthetic opioid, has become the most abused drug in Liberia, fueling addiction, mental health decline, violence, and social instability. Shisha, on the other hand, is often wrongly perceived as harmless but contains dangerously high levels of nicotine and carcinogens, exposing users, particularly young people, to severe risks of cancer, heart disease, and lifelong addiction.
“The abuse of these substances is destroying families, destabilizing communities, and threatening the future of Liberia’s young people,” the Ministry stressed.
The moratorium also reaffirms that controlled narcotics such as morphine, codeine, heroin, oxycodone, methadone, and tramadol remain strictly prohibited unless prescribed and administered within licensed medical facilities.
The Ministry further called on health professionals to strictly adhere to prescription guidelines, on pharmacy operators and wholesalers to comply fully with the moratorium, and on parents, community leaders, and religious institutions to raise awareness in protecting young people from substance abuse.
“This moratorium is a decisive and non-negotiable step to save lives, protect our youth, and safeguard national stability,” the release concluded, emphasizing that Liberia is in the midst of a national drug crisis that requires urgent action.
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