The youth and alcoholism in Northern region

The Northern Region of Ghana is largest region in the country. It is home to the Dagomba people known for their strength and culture.

It is also a fact that the Northern Region is dominated by the Islamic Religion. It is therefore not a surprise when people easily mistaken every one that comes from the North part of Ghana to be a Moslem. Largely, due to the dominance of the Islamic Religion in the Northern Region, the region haven’t been on record as one to have its youth indulge in alcohol or alcoholism as the percept of the Islamic Religion vehemently prohibits the use of alcohol.

But in recent years, there has been a surge in the usage of alcohol in the region among the youth and this has led to a lot of questions being raised by prominent people as to what could be the issue with the development. A few things would be examined in this text to help explain the new development.

Firstly, the Northern Region can rightly be described as a cosmopolitan. This means that it is not home to only the indigenes but different people from different places. There are people from the tribes of other region also found in the Northern part of Ghana, living in the Northern Region. People from the southern part can also be found here. All these people from different places are engaged in business or other things.

These businesses range from “chop bars” to “drinking bars” and are observation made is that owners of these “drinking spots or bars” are usually not indigenes but of other tribes that sees opportunity and wants to make good use of it.

Secondly, with the influx of different people and cultures in the region, there is bound to be an influence from cultures on other cultures. People might relax their values and principles and vice versa, and so one culture may gain upper hand or succeed in portraying that alcohol use is not a big deal and this may have encourage the youth to indulge in alcohol.

Also peer pressure is another glaring cause of alcoholism in the region. Peers are known to listen to each other, and sometimes the advice or information given or being shared may not be that good. Peers would also do anything or go a certain extent to stay in the circle or be liked or validated, thus it’s easy for them to copy lifestyle and alcoholism is easily passed on or learnt.

There’s been a notable increase in drinking spots in the metropolis. And if you make time to take a stroll around even deprived vicinity in the capital, you are likely to encounter drinking spot in the area. Having poured out the causes to be the cosmopolitan nature of the region, peer pressure as well cultural exchange, something needs to be done immediately to guide the youth from this practice. There is the need to sensitize the youth on the destructive nature of alcohol and alcoholism. There should be massive education in our schools especially tertiary institutions on alcohol and its dangers. This would help the youth make better choices.

Again parents should take keen interest in the activities of their wards. Most times children are left to their own devices by parents who allow them to learn all kinds of stuff and some are very destructive. The media should step in with programs which can help parents guide their wards against alcoholism.

Finally, intrinsic motivation is stronger and more powerful them any other motivation. The youth should take up the challenge of motivating themselves to hold on to their values and principles to avoid succumbing to teachings that do not align with their persona or values and steer them on to destruction. Adverts and information about alcohol that easily lure some of the youth could be easily avoided if they are motivated intrinsically to guard against what is wrong for them.

Alcoholism is on the rise in the northern region. This is not a political party’s doing or making, this is not also to be attributed to the poor old woman minding her business. There is an African proverb which says “it takes a village to raise a child “which means for our society to have responsible people we all have a role to play. This means that we all have a role to play to ensure that we deliver the youth in our region from the grips of alcoholism.

Let us all do our part because we need the youth to take up responsible roles to move our nation forward.