Tabora – Accra, Feb. 8, MNN – Scores of the youth of Tabora Alhaji in the Greater Accra Region have resorted to the smoking of marijuana and other illegal substances, residents are therefore worried.
Some of the residents in an interview said some of the youth as young as 15 years have resorted to smoking shisha, cigarettes, and marijuana among others, and have abandoned their education.
Ms. Ivy Asantewaa another resident noted that her son has also joined the smoking group and later was diagnosed with lung cancer.
She pleaded with the youth to avoid smoking and aspired for a future where they could contribute significantly to development.
Miss Lydia Obeng, a Pharmacist at Tema Community Two also noted in an interview in Tema that smoking cigarettes, and marijuana, has adverse health implications on their respiratory system.
She said such substances could cause lung disease by damaging the airways, and alveoli found in their lungs.
Miss Obeng added that smoking could also lead to emphysema and chronic bronchitis, thus cigarette smoking causes most lung cancer cases and called on all to stay away from smoking.
Madam Cecelia Ansu, a resident, expressed concern that young girls and boys between the ages of 15 to 18 years were gradually adopting smoking and making it the new normal.
She said most of these children were influenced by peer pressures and appealed to the authorities to deal with the issue before it becomes difficult to control.
Other concerned parents described the situation as unacceptable behaviour which has the potential of destroying the youth’s health and education and truncating their future professional pursuits and eventually increasing social vices in the community and the country at large.
