In a decisive response to Liberia’s Drug epidemic, the Ministry of Health has placed a ban on the smoking of Shisha and a nationwide non-negotiable moratorium on Tramadol.
Liberia’s Health Ministry’s crackdown comes in response to the escalating drug epidemic and national public health emergency across Liberia – something that poses consequential threats to Liberian’s future.
The moratorium, according to Health Minister, and head of the special presidential steering committee to combat drugs and substance abuse, Dr. Louise Kpoto, takes effect August 22, 2025, on the sale and distribution of Tramadol and Shisha across Liberia.
A directive under the moratorium quotes the health authority as saying, “Tramadol use is strictly limited to licensed hospital settings under professional medical supervision. Shisha is completely banned in both public and private facilities, including bars, drinking spots, and homes, etc”.
“This moratorium is a decisive and non-negotiable step to save lives, protect our youth, and safeguard national stability.
Liberia is in the grip of a dangerous drug epidemic, and the Ministry of Health will enforce this law with the full weight of government authority to protect our nation’s future.
MoH describes Tramadol as a synthetic opioid which has become the most widely abused drug in Liberia, fueling addiction, violence, mental health decline, and social instability, whilst stating that Shisha, often misperceived as harmless, contains dangerously high levels of nicotine and carcinogens, placing Liberia’s youth at extreme risk 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”, says Dr. Kpoto.
Violators, according to the communication in the possession of KMTV, will face immediate lawful penalties – including arrest, license revocation, and product seizure.
This intensified enforcement is enshrined in Part V (5), 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.
Dr. Kpoto’s directive further instructed that the following narcotics remain strictly prohibited unless prescribed and administered within licensed medical facilities:
All Opioids
Morphine
Codeine
Thebaine
Heroin
Hydromorphone
Oxycodone
Methadone
Fentanyl
Meperidine (Demerol)
Pentazocine
Tramadol
The Ministry at the same time encouraged all state actors to play their part legally in curbing drugs.
