The Assistant Head of the Demand Reduction Department Unit of the Narcotics Control Commission in the Western Region, Linda Yirenkyi says, that young people are the most vulnerable groups, who tend to abuse drugs for purposes of exploration, and in some cases to replenish their lost energies amongst others.
In Ghana, A study reported the daily use of alcohol and marijuana among the youth to be 12 percent and 16.2 percent, respectively.
The Global Burden of Diseases study also reported that alcohol used to be the 4th leading cause of disability among youth between 10 and 24 years old, with significant sex variations.
Given this, Madam Linda Yirenkyi asked parents and guardians to pay close attention to them in order not to jeopardize their future with drug abuse.
” Anybody can be a victim of the drug but the most vulnerable group are the youth, that is the adolescent. We target them because they are our future leaders. To parents, I want to say that we should look out for some signs that, there are some things that might cause a change in a child. Some of the youth abuse drugs mostly out of curiosity.
Sometimes, people tend to abuse drugs because they want to get some kind of energy to work or for other reasons. “
On the kind or types of drugs, mostly abused by the youth, she mentioned heroin, alcohol, and weed as the commonest.
She said, “There is a lot of drugs that are abused in this region. There is crack cocaine, people explore with glue, weed and even tramadol. Also tobacco products, cigarettes, shisha etc.”
Madam Yirekyi notes that as part of their mandate, the Commission embarks on campaigns to offer education and sensitization to schools workplaces, and communities to trumpet the consequences of drug abuse on the human body.
“We embark on education and sensitisation on the consequences of drugs,so that they can stay away from drugs. People take drugs that they don’t even know the composition of those drugs. Our exercise takes place in schools, churches and communities. “
