Upper East: SHS students getting high on wee toffee

There is an alarming increase in the consumption of “wee toffee” – a sweet made from mainly marijuana and condensed milk – among students of Senior High Schools in the Upper East Region, a situation, health professionals and mental health advocates, warn poses a great risk to the health and well-being of the students.

A tireless advocate against alcohol and substance abuse in the region and Executive Director of Life out of Alcohol and Drugs Ghana (LOAD-Ghana) Roger Atambire Abaa, noted that the disturbing phenomenon, if not tackled, would lead to terrible consequences in terms of students health and safety.

“If you visit the various senior high schools (SHSs), it is bad. The wee toffee is common among the students. Where they get them from? One can’t tell.  But these learners are consuming these substances like there is no tomorrow. And I think authorities ought to strengthen efforts that can curtail this growing behavior amongst the learners,” Mr Abaa of LOAD-Ghana said in an interview with Bolgatanga-based  A1 Radio on the occasion of World Drug Day.

He contended that beyond efforts to prevent students from accessing and consuming substance-laced confectionery, stakeholders must work to prevent the production of them.

Studies have shown that over the years, some students in senior high schools have been engaging in drug abuse such as smoking and alcohol consumption. But the recent introduction of narcotic substances disguised as confectionery has significantly worsened the drug abuse menace in senior high schools.