The University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) Basic School in the Volta Region has initiated a campaign to combat substance abuse among the youth.
This effort aims to educate and empower pupils to advocate against the use of harmful substances and highlight the severe consequences of their abuse.
Substance abuse among adolescents in Ghana has become a growing concern, with marijuana, alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine being the most commonly misused substances. Addressing this issue requires a comprehensive, multi-sectoral approach to safeguard the nation’s future.
Seth Korga, the Headmaster of UHAS Basic School, emphasized the urgency of the initiative, citing the high exposure of children to drugs within their communities and the alarming rates of substance abuse among young people.
“We are getting to know that even children as young as in KG are taking substances that make them addictive. So we have decided that since our children are also part of the community, they are seeing those things and they are vulnerable to drug abuse. So we decided to do something about it,” Korga stated.
Central to the campaign is the active participation of the students. A Destiny Club has been established to lead the anti-drug activities. The club aims to be a model replicated in basic schools nationwide, educating members on the dangers of drug abuse and equipping them to spread awareness among their peers.
The campaign will leverage various communication strategies to maximize its reach. “So our strategy is that they will talk about it. They should dramatize it. They should debate it and by so doing maybe we will be able to save some of them,” Korga explained.
Collaboration with relevant agencies is a key component of the campaign’s strategy. The Narcotics Control Commission, recognizing the significant role of parental influence in substance abuse, has praised the initiative. The Commission’s Education Unit representative, Melody Domoti, noted that many children are introduced to drugs by their parents, either through direct use or by being sent to purchase them. This campaign aims to counteract these influences by providing children with accurate information about the harmful effects of drug abuse.
“Most of them get the influence from their parents at home, some of them, their parents are using the drugs, and these are the things they send them to buy. Some of them even cultivate it, they have farms in their various communities, which makes them know of the drugs but don’t know of their effects,” Domoti explained.