African Ministry warns families about drugs

By Paul Awortwi-Mensah
Special to The Catholic Free Press
WORCESTER – Youth were advised to abstain from drugs, and they and their parents were given signs of drug abuse to watch for, at a seminar the diocesan African Ministry organized.
The ministry held the seminar June 29 at St. Andrew the Apostle Church as one of the events for its Year of the Family.
It was the first of its kind, according to Father Enoch K. Kyeremateng, African Ministry chaplain. He said the ministry will organize seminars about a variety of topics, to educate the youth and their parents and help them lead lives worthy of emulation.
This event, which drew about 60 participants, sought to highlight the effects of drug use, which could eventually lead to suicide. Panelists warned young people about getting hooked on drugs, which would be detrimental to their health and lives and make them miserable members of society.
Niranchana Vallirajan, a behavioral health specialist at UMass Memorial Medical Center, advised youth and their parents to watch for signs of drug use, including absenteeism, poor academic performance, change in behavior, problems controlling moods and behavior, neglected physical appearance, weight loss, dilated pupils and bruises on arms and other vein-laden areas.
Dr. Constance Tufuor-Agyemang, a Ghanaian physician, said research has shown that nine out of 10 people with substance abuse problems started using drugs by age 18. She urged parents to educate their children about the negative effects of drugs and urged youth to say no to drugs and concentrate on their education, so as to live a better life.
Steven McHugh, a case manager in Community Healthlink’s detox unit, said addiction is a disease. He urged people who crave substances to seek help rather than getting into the habit of using drugs. He advised the youth to listen to their parents, who are positive role models in their lives, so that they do not fall into the temptation to use drugs.
Medicine can do so much, but there is a need to address addiction spiritually, he said. Quoting from Romans 7 and 1 Corinthians 12, he said people are spiritual beings who need to be fed spiritually to receive the grace of God.
Father Kyeremateng said the Church has youth who are future leaders at heart and will do all it can to ensure that the youth are not led astray.
He commended the youth and the parents who attended the seminar and urged them to share what they learned with those in their communities.