DRUGS, THE NEW ORDER

Mensah Brobbey Desmond

Enchi College of Education

Taking a stroll in a renowned College of Education in Ghana after a strenuous examination, I came across a well intoxicated group of male students who were returning after what they call a well-deserved night after successfully writing their end of semester examination unable to move their legs, they asked for help. Ignorant about what they had consumed a night before, I gave a helping hand in locating their hall of residence. Upon assuming I came to the conclusion that it had been one of these hard drugs on the markets.

One may be in doubt of the aforementioned scenario and conclude that it is a well fabricated story or an act of fiction to gain recognition after all the emblem of the association even creates the impression that the teacher trainee is the custodian of knowledge. Well report from almost every college of education indicates that trainees are deep rooted in this malignant activity.

To buttress my claim is the statistics from the Ghana Narcotic Control Board which revealed that about fifty thousand (50000) youths in Ghana abuse drugs. The findings further indicated that thirty-five thousand out of the total sum are students in the JHS, SHS and the tertiary institutions of which college Of Education are inclusive.

 These facts have made me passionate to write about drug abuse and the perils associated with the abuse of drugs such as marijuana, tramadol, wee toffee, gutter water, codeine and even sniffing of glue.
Drug abuse is defined as the excessive and self-damaging use of habit forming drugs or substances, leading to addiction.

Commencing, abuse of drugs leads to addiction. Addiction also known as substance use disorder is a disease that affects the brain and behaviour and leads to the inability to control the use of a legal or illegal drug. When you are addicted to drugs, you can’t resist the urge to use them, no matter how much harm the drugs may cause.

To add to the aforesaid effect is abusers become poor. When trainees who abuse drugs at this stage become addicted to drugs, they will not hesitate to use their last penny to purchase the drugs. We are in an era where the salary of teachers is nothing to write home about which has even caused teacher unions to agitate for increment in the salaries they earn.

Moreover, drug abuse leads to deteriorating health conditions. Drug abusers don’t know the harm they cause to their health. People who abuse drugs often have one or more associated health issues, which include lung or health disease, stroke among others. Over the years images of X-rays have shown the damaging effects of smoking marijuana and cigarettes on the human brain
Penultimately, drugs lower the reputation of its abusers. If there is anything I will forget in my College days then certainly not the fact that teachers are actually role models. In the light of this trainees will have to keep their reputation intact meanwhile the drug abuse can be a nemesis in ensuring that the reputation of us(trainees) will be dragged in gutters.

Climax, embarrassment on family. Family members may feel ashamed at this behaviour. Family members are bothered by what bothers are unsure on what to do to reform the said abuser
I will draw the curtain down on this article by pleading with abusers of drug on the various campuses on Colleges of Education to take a word or two from this article and turn a new leaf because help effect change in the larger society. How best can we do this if not staying clean from abusing drugs?

Mensah Brobbey Desmond
Enchi College of Education
WEC Sector