Seven final year students of Ghana National College in the Central Regional Capital, Cape Coast, have been dismissed for smoking Indian hemp. Four of the dismissed students, after smoking the narcotics substance, locked up a form one student in a trunk.

As a result, of their action, the victim almost died of suffocation. They admitted before a disciplinary committee that they had to revive him by offering him milk and other fluids to drink.

The three other boys were caught smoking Indian Hemp in the dormitory during the time for classes. The affected students who have already registered for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations, will however be allowed to sit for the examinations.

The Headmaster of the school, Mr. Albert K. Aiduonu, announced this at the School’s Speech and Prize giving day, said further investigations revealed that some of the students started smoking Indian-Hemp when they were in Junior Secondary School (JSS).

He noted that acts of indiscipline such as misappropriation of school fees, extortion from junior students by the seniors and what he called “boy-girl” relationship by students had become common some of the students. The Headmaster appealed to government to empower the Inspectorate division of the Ghana Education Service to monitor the activities of students in JSS where most bad habits are cultivated.

He also called for the establishment of guidance and counseling units at the JSS level, to offer counseling services to students on how to deal with negative peer pressure.