Equip teachers to teach students on drug abuse – Stakeholders

Stakeholders have called on the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ministry of Education to equip teachers with the knowledge on the use and dangers of drug abuse.

To them, teachers were the most trusted and role models when it comes to impacting good morals to the new members of the society and, thus, if they were well-informed with such information, they would be able to transfer the knowledge to their students.

Dr Amma Pomaah Boadu, a Psychiatric at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, made the call in Accra on Friday, at a panel discussion organized by the Pharmaceutical Council of Ghana to mark the Ghana Pharma Summit 2019.

It was held on the theme: “Practical solutions to ending the drug abuse menace in Ghana.”

Other panel members were Mr Christian Trebi Quao, Head of Special Programmes at the Pharmaceutical Council, Madam Julia Marfo, Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and Dr Wiafe-Akenten Brenya, Senior Lecturer-Department of Psychology of the University of Ghana.

The panel was moderated by Sheikh Armiyawo Shaibu, spokesperson for the Chief Imam.

The Summit, being spearheaded by the National Chief Imam, is to get practical solutions to reduce and even eliminate the drug menace from the society, especially at the Zongo Communities where the practice is high.

It is also part of the centenary celebration of the National Chief Imam, where he wants to develop a national conversation in dealing with drug abuse.

Dr Boadu who is also, the Public Relations Officer for the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, said, drug abuse could be corrected or eliminated when the users were young and called for a detailed curriculum to that effect.

Dr Boadu called for the training of health officials to enable them identify the disorder as well as help manage it.

She noted that hope was not lost as those who were addicted already, could be supported to get out of it by referring them to the various rehabilitating centres, and assist with their re-

integration into the society for them to contribute to national development.

The Psychiatric appealed to drug peddlers to do humanity good by not capitalizing on the vulnerability of the users to sell the drugs to them and make money.

Madam Marfo, Senior Regulation Officer of FDA, said, Tramadol, Heroine, Cocaine, Indian hemp, among other hard drugs were not the only abused but also Tobacco and Alcohol, which the FDA was having a stakeholder meeting to arrest.

Dr Brenya said the environment, family modelling and other factors contributed to the drug menace, which did not only affect the individual but the family and society and called on parents to be interested in the formation stage of their children to avoid them being fallen into drug company.

Mr Quao Head of Special Programmes at the Pharmaceutical Council, pledged the Pharmaceutical Council’s effort to ensure the best practices by sticking close to the standard practice so that people did not abuse drugs.

GNA