Research reveals troubling substance abuse among tertiary students– Opare Addo
Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo, has revealed that research commissioned by his ministry has uncovered troubling levels of opioid and substance abuse among young people, particularly in Ghana’s tertiary institutions.
Speaking at the launch of the Youth Sounding Board, a joint initiative by the European Union and the Government of the Netherlands, the Minister said the preliminary findings point to a growing crisis that is eroding productivity and threatening social stability.
“We have commissioned research on opioids and the substance abuse crisis, which is undermining productivity and social stability, and our findings are ready, and they are very alarming. We sampled almost all our tertiary institutions,” he said.
He noted that the study sampled students from nearly all tertiary institutions across the country. However, he stated that the details of the report will only be made public after a full briefing with President John Dramani Mahama.
“Based on what I have found, I need to brief the President first before making it public,” he said.
Mr. Opare Addo also reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to partnering with the Youth Sounding Board to tackle issues facing young people, including substance abuse, unemployment, and access to mental health support.
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