The Minister of Youth Development and Empowerment, Mr George Opare Addo, has called for a concerted national effort to tackle drug abuse among the youth.
He described the growing menace as a threat to families and national development.
He said the government would intensify education, advocacy and other interventions to prevent young people from abusing drugs, while urging the youth to take responsibility for protecting themselves and their peers from substance abuse.
Mr Opare Addo made the call in Accra yesterday at the National Youth Forum, where he described available data on substance use among young people as “scary” and said it required concerted action by the government, families, civil society organisations and the youth.
He explained that the Ministry had invited the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) to the forum because drug abuse remained one of the major challenges confronting the youth and could no longer be treated as an individual concern.
He said the forum was intended to provide young Ghanaians with a platform to openly identify the challenges confronting them and propose practical solutions to the government.
Mr Opare Addo said the government was committed to creating an enabling environment for the youth through skills development, entrepreneurship, digital training and job opportunities.
He urged young people to acquire relevant skills and take advantage of available opportunities to prepare themselves to contribute meaningfully to national development.
The Director-General of NACOC, Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, also cautioned the youth against experimenting with illicit drugs, warning that the changing nature of substance abuse posed serious threats to their health, future and aspirations.
Major General Mantey said the youth had enormous potential to contribute to national development if they stayed away from illicit substances.
He said NACOC was intensifying education, prevention, enforcement, treatment and rehabilitation efforts to tackle the menace, adding that the Commission would continue to prosecute drug traffickers and peddlers.
He urged young people struggling with addiction to seek professional help early, stressing that seeking treatment should not be a source of shame.
“Please, do not go there,” he cautioned, warning that experimentation could lead to addiction and ultimately destroy the lives and aspirations of young people.
He appealed to the youth to join hands with NACOC, the Ministry of Youth Development and other stakeholders to fight illicit drug abuse.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), Mr Malik Basintale, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to creating sustainable employment opportunities for young Ghanaians.
He said the Agency had received a list of 15,000 beneficiaries under various employment programmes, including sales, community health assistance and other youth-focused initiatives.
Mr Basintale said the government was also working to expand opportunities in community policing, healthcare, financial assistance and other areas, while strengthening partnerships to support youth employment.
He disclosed that 8,000 young people would, within five years, be introduced to community technology work as part of efforts to equip them with relevant skills.
Mr Basintale further disclosed that the YEA was partnering with relevant institutions to implement a flagship programme aimed at addressing drug use and providing support to young people affected by substance abuse.
He stressed that implementing the government’s youth manifesto remained a major priority and assured that the Agency would continue to create opportunities to empower young Ghanaians.
BY EUGENE AMPIAW
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