By Alex Baah Boadi
Chirano (WN/R), Aug. 01, GNA – The Asante Gold Chirano Limited, in partnership with the Western North Regional office of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has held a day’s drug sensitisation campaign for Senior High and Basic School students in the Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai Municipality.
The campaign was to educate the participants and the general public about the dangers of drugs and substance abuse especially among students.
Mr Stephen Asante-Yamoah, the General Manager of Asante Gold Chirano, during the event, said the company placed emphasis on health and wellbeing of young people, and saw it as a responsibility to equip them with the knowledge and values needed to help make sound choices and avoid behaviours that could jeopardise their future.
He expressed appreciation to the NACOC and management of Chirano Senior High School for their collaboration to hold such an educational programme for the students.
“At Asante Gold Chirano, safety is our first core value, and we believe that safety should not end at the Mine site gate. It must extend to our homes, schools and communities,” he said.
The General Manager also emphasised that promoting healthy lifestyles and protecting young people from the dangers of substance abuse were important investments in the future of their catchment communities.
Mr Asante-Yamoah charged students to protect themselves from using drugs, and avoid taking Un prescribed medicines, saying those substances could negatively impact their health and wellbeing.
Mr Dennis Adutwum-Gyimah, Western North Regional Principal Narcotics Control Officer, said the drug sensitisation campaign was one of the key mandates of the Commission to help educate the public on drug use prevention.
He explained that the Commission as part of this year’s World Drugs Day engaged with workers of the company and decided to extend the gesture to the communities.
He assured of extending the campaign to other schools to educate them on dangers of drugs and substance abuse.
Mr Adutwum-Gyimah stated that the abuse of drugs and use of illicit substance did not help with right thinking and the youth most often fell for it.
He lauded Asante Gold Chirano Limited for the collaboration and was hopeful it would yield the needed results.
Some of the students in an interview with the Ghana News Agency lauded the campaign, saying it had exposed them to the negative effects of drugs and substance abuse on their future.
They promised to take the campaign home and educate others so that they would also say no to hard and illicit drugs.
GNA
Edited b Justina Hilda Paaga/Benjamin Mensah
Reporter Alex Baah Boadi
Reporter’s email address: [email protected]