The Tema Community 25 Lions Club International, in partnership with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), has taken its Stop Drug Abuse – Embrace Life campaign to Chemu Senior High School, marking another milestone in the club’s youth-focused outreach in August, the month dedicated to youth empowerment.
The initiative aims to educate senior high school students on the harmful effects of drug abuse and empower them to make informed, healthier lifestyle choices.
The event began on a vibrant note as students eagerly awaited a morning of engagement and learning. Club President, Lion Dr. Ralph Tettey-Amlalo, in an interactive talk with the students, shared his excitement about the campaign and its mission. He stated that the initiative is “coupled with a keen focus on eliminating the abuse of drugs among the Ghanaian youth populace.” He further explained, “The objective is to help the youth build confidence to resist peer pressure and choose healthier lifestyles.”
The talk was followed by an educational session from Basira Fuseini, a Regulatory Officer at the FDA’s Tobacco and Substances of Abuse Directorate, who emphasized the need for young people to prioritize their health. “As young people you have to make your health your own priority, there are certain things that you can do to encourage good health and drug abuse is not one of them,” she said.
According to her, a major factor contributing to drug abuse is the kind of content young people consume. “Drug and substance abuse has found a recognized space in the digital age and subtly destroys the worldview of many youth through curiosity,” she noted. However, she urged students to “take advantage of the good benefits of social media as a hub which holds a variety of information which promotes good health and wellbeing.” She added, “One thing young people should keep in mind is to look for beneficial knowledge on social media, instead of using it for some of these vices which are harmful… to get the benefits of it instead of subjecting themselves to the harsh effects of drug abuse.”
Headmistress of Chemu Senior High School, Mrs. Vincentia Kyere Anin-Adjei, speaking in an exclusive engagement with YFM, commended the Lions Club and the FDA for what she described as a “timely and beneficial” initiative. She noted that the impact “has spanned beyond the benefits of students but teachers of the institution.” She added, “After this campaign, today, we will need the teachers to also carry the message because day-in-day-out, they will need to remind the students of the fact that these are some of the dangers involved with drug abuse. So they can take some time off their lessons to educate them and I believe that will also help the students a lot.”
To reinforce the message, the Tema Community 25 Lions Club undertook a poster-pasting exercise at strategic locations across the school, serving as a constant reminder of the importance of healthy living.
The Youth Drug Abuse Sensitization Program, under the theme Empowering the Youth to Say No to Drugs, is a strategic campaign by the Tema Community 25 Lions Club in partnership with the FDA. From late July into August, the program has reached students of Kpone Senior High School and Chemu Senior High School, with the goal of making a lasting positive impact.
