By:Patricia Andoh-andohpatricia92@gmail.com
Drug abuse and addiction is a serious phenomenon among the youth in Ghana, marijuana or cannabis (weed), tramadol and shishaare the commonly used drugs by them ranging from the age of 12-45years.
The abuse of drugs like marijuana and tramadol by the youth particularly in the junior High Schools, Senior High Schools and the tertiary is in ascendancy in Ghana.
According to the UN office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC’s) world Drug report 2022, about 284 million people from the ages of 15- 64 use drugs worldwide in 2020, a 26 percent increase over the previous decade. Young people using drugs in many countries are higher than the previous generation.
Drug Abuse and addiction has serious health implications on victims and can also cause emotional, social and financial and other serious problem in the society in recent times. Most of the deviant behaviours such as stealing, armed robbery and even prostitution are as results of in taken of these harmful drugs.
Because they are dependent and to maintain the habit of using these hard substances, they involve themselves in those activities to raise money to purchase these drugs. The high rate of criminal activities is a pointer to the danger inherent in drug abuse, most young people have dropped out of school and others have developed severe mental problems.
Prominent people whose career has ruined due to drug abuse and addiction
Many prominent peoplelife and career has ended due to drugs. The great Diego Armando Maradona of Argentina almost became wreck as a result of the use of drugs.Whitney Houston a female musician who was using marijuana, alcohol, cocaine and pills ended her career in 2012 through been abused and addicted to these drugs.
Health Implications
People with addiction often have one or more associate health issues, which can be long lasting and permanent. It can even continue when the person as stop taking the substance.-A weakened immune system, increasing the risks of illness and infection- Heart conditions ranging from heart attacks and collapsed the veins and blood vessels.- increased strain on the liver which puts the person at risks of significant liver damage or liver failure.-Seizures, stroke, mental confusion and brain damage.
The fight against drugs abused requires all effort from stakeholders:
Food and drugs Authority (FDA) in collaboration with the Narcotics Control Board (NACBO) must organise activities in schools ranging from primary to the tertiary level to educate people on health risks involved in drug intake.The Government and policy makers need to create social inventions that will help create jobs to improve livelihoods to reduce the rate of poverty, joblessness in the society because these are the major enablers for drug abuse.
Families and communities should come together since they are the first point of socialization as a basic unit to play role in development of the child.Religious sects must educate their members on drug abuse and its related implications and also provide jobs and inculcate some skills training into their members.
I conclude by ending with a quote from Kurt Cobain; Drugs are a waste of time. They destroy your memory and your self – respect and everything goes along with self-esteem.
