Substance abuse research report
A national survey on the prevalence and social consequences of the substance use among second cycle and out of school youth
Drug abuse has become a global phenomenon affecting almost every country though the extent and characteristics vary depending on the country in question. The most commonly used and abused substances are cigarettes, cannabis, cocaine and alcohol. Alcohol and other related problems are becoming more and more a public health concern and they represent one of the leading causes of preventable death, illness and injury.
The substance abuse problem in Ghana is no different from other countries though there may be variations in the magnitude of the problem. It is difficult to say when it actually became a problem in Ghana, currently; use and abuse of drugs have expanded to include the youth.
In August 2003, WHO funded a study to determine the prevalence and social consequences of substance use among the youth in Ghana. Any evidenced - based intervention programme directed at empowering the youth to stay away from drugs cannot be effectively designed without a baseline data providing evidence on the existing problem and the extent to which the youth are falling victims to substance abuse.
The objective of the study is to provide baseline information on the prevalence of substance use among the youth in Ghana as well as its social consequences so as to advise Public Health Organizations, NGOs, Private and Government Institutions interested in designing suitable programmes aimed at protecting youth against substance use.