The rising trend of drug and alcohol abuse among the youth is becoming a worrying concern in Ghana, and according to Professor David Millar, President of the Millar Institute for Transdisciplinary and Development Studies, the menace is closely tied to poverty, unemployment, and in some cases, idle wealth.
Speaking with Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen in a documentary titled “Swallowed by Drugs”, Prof. Millar described the issue as “a double-edged thing” that is both poverty-driven and, to a lesser extent, influenced by excess wealth.
“As for youth in drug abuse and alcohol, I would link it a bit… It’s attributable to poverty, and it’s also attributable to riches,” he explained. “If youth have excess money in their pockets and they don’t know what to do with it, they might use it in the area of alcohol and drugs. That is how the richest part is articulated.”
He, however, stressed that poverty plays a bigger role in substance abuse among young people. “The poverty part is youth feeling helpless. They don’t have a job, they don’t have any means, they can’t earn any income. So instead of wallowing in their poor situation, they look for drugs to make them feel it’s not that bad,” he noted.
Breaking down the proportions, Prof. Millar estimated that “40% will be due to riches, 60% will be due to the poverty level and joblessness.” He further explained how idleness and the lack of opportunity fuel reckless behavior among the unemployed youth.
“One thing about the drugs is that when you take it, some of them suppress your urge to eat the whole day. So you can still survive a meal a day because the drugs compensate for the other non-available meals,” he said, highlighting how poverty directly feeds into substance dependence.
On solutions, Prof. Millar was emphatic about job creation as the most effective remedy. “If we really want to deal with it, first of all, we need to make sure job opportunities are there for the youth. And not only white-collar jobs. There are a lot of jobs you can engage youth with, even if they are temporary,” he suggested.
According to him, providing avenues for engagement and income will reduce idleness, though he cautioned that access to money can also lead some down the wrong path. Still, he insisted: “I would take that risk in providing them the jobs, providing them some income, occupying them because they are full of energy.”
Prof. Millar also pointed out how politicians exploit this excess energy in young people. “Once you mobilise them and then you give them something in their pockets, they are ready to go. Because the energy is there, it must be expended,” he said.
He further concluded that unless urgent interventions are made to tackle youth joblessness and poverty, drug and alcohol abuse will continue to rise, posing serious social challenges for the country.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com
