The Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority (NYA), Osman Ayariga, is calling for a nationwide ban on e-cigarettes, shisha, and other harmful substances, warning of a growing threat of substance abuse among Ghana’s youth.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Newsroom with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Saturday, July 5, Ayariga expressed grave concern over the increasing use of vaping devices and similar products, which he described as serious health risks to young people.
“The issue of substance abuse has become very teething and pivotal so far as the NYA is concerned,” Ayariga said.
He added: “I have heard various health arguments that [shisha] is very unhealthy for young people. So, anything that will be unhealthy to young people, I will always subscribe that it should be banned. This is a national conversation we need to have.”
He disclosed that the NYA is collaborating with security agencies to crack down on the circulation of opioids and other illicit drugs.
“As I speak to you, there’s an operation happening in Accra — a joint operation by national security and some agencies — a crackdown on some ghettos,” he noted. “We’re in constant collaboration with the police, Customs, and Immigration.”
The NYA, he said, is also intensifying sensitisation campaigns to educate young people about the risks and consequences of substance abuse.
“We need to educate our young people to let them know that they can be addicted,” he stressed.
Beyond prevention and awareness, Ayariga explained that the NYA supports rehabilitation and reintegration efforts by offering recovered addicts skills training and employment support to help them rebuild their lives.
He thus called on the media to amplify efforts against drug abuse, stating that safeguarding the mental health and well-being of Ghana’s youth must remain a national priority.
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