Warning: Undefined array key 1 in /home4/ireplibc/public_html/liberianewsnetwork/wp-content/plugins/featured-image-from-url/includes/jetpack.php on line 12
Warning: Undefined array key 1 in /home4/ireplibc/public_html/liberianewsnetwork/wp-content/plugins/featured-image-from-url/includes/jetpack.php on line 12
Warning: Undefined array key 1 in /home4/ireplibc/public_html/liberianewsnetwork/wp-content/plugins/featured-image-from-url/includes/jetpack.php on line 12
Warning: Undefined array key 1 in /home4/ireplibc/public_html/liberianewsnetwork/wp-content/plugins/featured-image-from-url/includes/jetpack.php on line 12
Warning: Undefined array key 1 in /home4/ireplibc/public_html/liberianewsnetwork/wp-content/plugins/featured-image-from-url/includes/jetpack.php on line 12
Warning: Undefined array key 1 in /home4/ireplibc/public_html/liberianewsnetwork/wp-content/plugins/featured-image-from-url/includes/jetpack.php on line 12
Warning: Undefined array key 1 in /home4/ireplibc/public_html/liberianewsnetwork/wp-content/plugins/featured-image-from-url/includes/jetpack.php on line 12
Warning: Undefined array key 1 in /home4/ireplibc/public_html/liberianewsnetwork/wp-content/plugins/featured-image-from-url/includes/jetpack.php on line 12
Warning: Undefined array key 1 in /home4/ireplibc/public_html/liberianewsnetwork/wp-content/plugins/featured-image-from-url/includes/jetpack.php on line 12
Warning: Undefined array key 1 in /home4/ireplibc/public_html/liberianewsnetwork/wp-content/plugins/featured-image-from-url/includes/jetpack.php on line 12
Warning: Undefined array key 1 in /home4/ireplibc/public_html/liberianewsnetwork/wp-content/plugins/featured-image-from-url/includes/jetpack.php on line 12
— AML held Symposium On Drugs Abuse, Addiction for youth
In observance of Word Volunteer Day on Drug Abuse, ArcelorMittal Liberia held a daylong symposium for school going youth on drug abuse and addiction in the mining town of Yekepa, Nimba County.
The awareness, which began with a parade across Yekepa, was held under the theme ‘our youth and the drug war’ and brought together six schools within Yekepa and its environs.
Officers of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) and of the Liberia National Police (LNP), as well as health practitioners and a representative from the Ministry of Education, graced the occasion.
In an overview of the awareness, Lydia Gahwo said the World Volunteer Day was set aside by the United Nations to pay tribute to those who have been in volunteerism by bringing or advancing peace and development for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
According to her, the day is usually celebrated on December 5 every year. However, December being so occupied with vacations denied many stakeholders from attending.
She said the AML deemed it necessary to use the day to involve students in the awareness about drug abuse and addiction. Most of the victims of the drug abuse and addiction, she explained, are youth and it will be easy for the students to disseminate information about the effect of drugs to the larger population, especially their peers.
She said AML families want to use this occasion to add their voices to this national discussion on issues which have the propensity to derail the national effort of obtaining the Sustainable Development Goals.
“A problem of drug abuse and addiction, substance abuse affects our youth, their schollings, the economy and the nation at large,” she said.
“We aim to educate youth about the danger and effect of drug abuse and addiction and also health awareness in line with substance use and addiction,” Ms. Gahwo added.
She explained that AML wants to use the awareness ceremony to inform the young people and all the participants to have the knowledge to resist peer pressure, which is one of key factors or reasons that get the young people to get involved into drugging.
The orator, Mark Sanoe, a certified addiction officer said the drug abuse is a global concern, affecting over 200 million.
He said the most commonly used drug is marijuana, which is commonly known as ‘grass’.
Mr. Sanoe explained that 2 out of ten youth use drugs and it is endangering the youth population which stands at 62%, according to the recent national census.
“Drug abuse has both short and long term effects. The short term effect takes you to jail. You are considered a criminal or rogue in your community, while the long term effect causes health problems, [such as] kidney failure and lung cancer, among others,” he said.
One of the panelists, LDEA officer Teddy Worzon, alarmed that the use of cocaine, heroin or known substances are declining, because of the drug known as ‘kush’.
He said ‘kush’ is a combination of all the dangerous narcotic substances, including cocaine, marijuana, heroin, and tramadol, among others.
“Like kush, it causes sores on its users, making them very dirty,” he said.
Dr. Paul Wesseh, the Chief Medical Doctor of AML, urged the youth to be good volunteers and carry out the awareness on drug abuse and addiction in the communities and resist peer pressure to avoid getting addicted as well.
“Every two patients I meet daily during consultation in my hospital are suffering from or are victims of drug abuse,” he said .
