The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BEST NACEM, a Non-Governmental
Organisation (NGO), Mr Stephen Nana Afful, has cautioned the youth against the
use and abuse of illicit drugs.
He said the abuse of drugs, such as tramadol and codeine, was detrimental to
the health of the youth and urged those who took such drugs to stop as the
long-term implication could have dire consequences on their health.
“There is a growing trend of tramadol abuse among Ghanaian youth in some
parts of the country and this is alarming because it is detrimental to their
health”, he said.
Mr Afful was speaking at a sensitisation programme for junior high school
(JHS) students in the Mfantseman municipality at the Mfantseman Girls' Senior
High School.
The programme, which was organised by BEST NACEM, with support from Ghana
AIDS Commission (GAC), was on the theme: “Say No to Tramadol and HIV/AIDS”.
Mr Afful stressed the need for concerted efforts from the public and
stakeholders in the health sector to address the problem before it depleted the
country’s human resources.
He said regular sensitisation programmes would go a long way to alert
students on the dangers of tramadol abuse and desist from taking the drug.
“The youth are the future of the country and it is incumbent on all to ensure
that they are guided and moulded into responsible adults”, he admonished.
Peer Pressure
A Technical Coordinator at the Central Regional Technical Support Unit of
the Ghana AIDS Commission, Mr William Kwaku Yeboah, advised the students not to
give in to negative peer pressure influence.
He encouraged them to exercise self-control saying, “once you have made a
firm decision not to do something based on your logic, ethics, values, and
heart, you must stick to your decision.
“The ability to say no is necessary to avoid doing what you really don't
want to do”, he stated. Students from the participating schools also put up
drama performance and poetry recitals, on the need to say no to tramadol abuse.
Source: Daily Graphic online
Reference: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/health/say-no-to-tramadol-hiv-aids-youth-advised.html
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