Dr. Joshua Awua, an addiction research scientist at the School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Arlington, Texas, USA, is at the forefront of this effort, advocating for Ghana to prioritize initiatives aimed at addressing the harm associated with substance use as the country faces a growing crisis of substance use, especially among adolescents and young adults.
According to him, the consequences of substance use, particularly among adolescents and young adults, are severe. Dr. Awua pointed out that substance use can lead to poor academic performance, school dropout, accidents, injuries, sexual assault, and even death. These outcomes not only affect individuals and their families but also have long-term implications for the nation and the global community. Given these dire consequences, he stressed that the time for Ghana to act is now.
Dr. Awua’s, research focuses on how peer pressure, interpersonal communication, and social norms influence substance use. One of his recent studies, published in The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, titled “Interpersonal communication and perceived norms as social influence mechanisms of e-cigarette use among adults, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00952990.2024.2346928 reveals how discussions about substances and peer norms significantly affect young adults’ decisions to use substances such as e-cigarettes.
“My research results indicate that peer influence is one of the factors that consistently affect young adults’ substance use. More specifically, associating with friends who use substances can impact one’s decision to use substances, and discussions about substances significantly influence young adults’ vaping.” He explained
Dr Awua expressed concern about the lack of a unified national response to substance use problems in Ghana, which he contends aggravates the situation. He called attention to the need for collaborative efforts from the government, non-governmental organizations, religious groups, and families to address this crisis and further suggested some strategies for curbing the issue.
“One way of addressing social pressure associated with substance use is to train individuals to develop resistance to peer pressure and effective drug refusal skills. This initiative can be implemented in schools through peer support networks.
Indeed, there has been success in campus-based peer support networks for recovery among students with a history of substance use. Currently, this support is not available in Ghana; hence, implementing this at both the school and community level has the potential to promote responsible substance use and reduce the harm associated with substance use.” He added
Furthermore, Dr. Awua urged the Ghanaian government to prioritize research into substance use and mental health. He believes that providing funding sources for this research will provide the country with the data and insights needed to develop culturally appropriate, and effective interventions.
“By supporting local scholarship and research, Ghana could make real progress in addressing substance use and mental health issues. These localized interventions would be more effective in tackling the specific challenges we face in Ghana.”Dr Awua said.
The addiction research scientist recommendations come at a critical time for Ghana, where substance use among the youth is on the rise, and the nation’s existing strategies are insufficient to address the scale of the problem.
Dr. Awua believes that with coordinated efforts and a focus on prevention, education, and local research, Ghana has the potential to lead the way in addressing addiction in Africa. He urges the government of Ghana, educational institutions, NGO’s, and social groups to lead this for meaningful progress in substance use prevention in Ghana.
By: Denis Boakye