Dr Elsei Amaley Abakisi, a Psychiatrist at the Tamale Teaching Hospital, has called for intensified campaigns against drug abuse targeting adolescent girls in senior high schools.
He said that many of the girls were vulnerable to peer pressure, curiosity and use of substances as coping strategies. Dr Abakisi noted that such behaviours exposed them to psychological, social and health risks including addiction, mental illnesses and academic decline.
He urged schools to incorporate counselling and life-skills training in their programmes and for parents, communities, and non-governmental organisations to collaborate in awareness creation and preventive education.
The Head of Programmes of HOCPY Ghana, Mrs. (name not given in the excerpt), said the initiative sought to empower girls with knowledge about the dangers of drug use and ways to resist influence. She added that HOCPY would train peer educators and organise outreach events in rural and urban districts.
The programme will cover topics such as common drugs abused, effects on health and well-being, coping with stress, peer influence, and how to seek help.