Kumasi, June 29, GNA - Dr Akwasi Osei, a Chief Psychiatrist at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has expressed worry about the disturbing dimension that substance abuse is assuming in the country. He said young people were increasingly falling on petroleum products to get high.

"We are seeing cases of the youth sniffing glues, lacquer and paints. Some also inhale the fumes of vehicles while others stand by the pumps at filling stations just to inhale the vapour of the petrol being served." In an interview with the Ghana News Agency at the launch of this year's "World Day against Drug Trafficking and Use" in Kumasi, he said more needed to be done to help young people to appreciate the harmful effects of narcotic drugs.

Dr Akwasi Osei said the Ghana Education Service (GES) could liaise with the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) on the issue and suggested the establishment of "Drug-free Clubs" in schools to help rein in the misuse of hard drugs among students. He said students should be kept well informed to enable them stay to away from drugs.

Dr Osei said it would not be out of place to encourage school children to visit the psychiatric facilities to observe for themselves, the dangers associated with drugs addiction. He said; "Once students and young people get to know of the dangers of its use they are not likely to go near it and if we can keep them away from drugs in the early teens they are not likely to start in adulthood." Dr Osei urged the government to commit more resources to the fight against drugs in the country.

He recommended the setting up of a special fund to reward those who gave information leading to the arrest of drug barons and traffickers. "We surely need to pass the tobacco bill that has been lying there for so long and we need to get an alcohol policy and possibly a law on alcohol to be in place," he added.