Youth Minister Warns of Drug Abuse Crisis in Universities
The Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo, has raised serious concerns over the growing rate of drug abuse among students in universities and colleges across Ghana. Speaking at the JoyNews dialogue on Thursday, August 28, themed “Breaking the Chains: Ghana’s Opioid Crisis,” Mr. Opare Addo revealed alarming statistics on substance use in tertiary institutions. According to him, codeine and cough syrups account for 28% of reported abuse, while 12% of students are abusing cocaine and 11% heroin. Weed edibles emerged as the most commonly used substance, with 59% of students admitting to consuming them. Shisha and hookah, often laced with other substances, recorded 49%, while 41% of students were found to abuse prescription drugs. The minister noted that more students are now experimenting with hard and expensive drugs such as cocaine and heroin, raising further concern. He […]