The Ministry of Health is stepping up efforts to combat substance misuse among young people after a recent survey found alarmingly high rates of alcohol consumption and vaping among secondary school students, prompting renewed calls for prevention, early intervention and stronger treatment services.
Speaking at Guyana’s observance of the International Day Against Illicit Trafficking and Drug Abuse at the ministry’s Brickdam headquarters on Friday, Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony said addressing youth substance misuse requires a coordinated national response involving government agencies, schools, parents and communities.
While acknowledging the work of enforcement agencies, including the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU), Dr. Anthony said enforcement alone will not solve the growing problem.
“Tackling the issue requires a multi-agency response,” he said, noting that substance misuse extends beyond the responsibility of any single institution or country.
The minister revealed that the ministry recently screened more than 6,000 secondary school students, with the results exposing troubling patterns of substance use among adolescents.
According to the findings, 43 per cent of students reported consuming alcohol, 32 per cent said they engaged in vaping, while five per cent admitted using cannabis.
“These results are alarming, and therefore we must develop programmes and interventions to prevent it from getting worse,” Dr. Anthony said.
The findings are particularly concerning because adolescence is a critical stage of physical and brain development. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), alcohol, nicotine and cannabis can all interfere with normal brain development, affecting learning, memory, judgment, attention and impulse control.
Health experts warn that adolescents who begin drinking alcohol before age 15 are significantly more likely to develop alcohol dependence later in life. Vaping can rapidly lead to nicotine addiction and permanently affect the developing brain, while cannabis use among teenagers has been linked to impaired learning, poor academic performance, anxiety, depression and an increased risk of addiction.
For Guyana, the ministry’s findings represent more than a public health concern—they point to a potential long-term social and economic challenge. With nearly one in every two students surveyed reporting alcohol use and almost one-third vaping, health experts say many young people are being exposed to substances during one of the most critical periods of their development.
If left unchecked, early substance use can contribute to higher school dropout rates, poorer educational outcomes, mental health disorders, addiction, increased crime and violence, greater demand for healthcare services, and reduced workforce productivity. These are challenges that could have lasting consequences for a country seeking to build a highly skilled workforce capable of sustaining its rapidly expanding, oil-driven economy.
Recognising those risks, Dr. Anthony said the Ministry of Health is strengthening its partnership with the Ministry of Education to build resilience among students and equip them with the skills needed to resist peer pressure and make healthier decisions.
He explained that early exposure to alcohol often increases a young person’s vulnerability to experimenting with other substances later in life, making prevention efforts particularly important.
The government is also moving to strengthen treatment services for those already struggling with addiction.
Dr. Anthony announced that Guyana has partnered with Mount Sinai to provide specialised training in addiction medicine for local healthcare professionals, a move expected to improve the country’s capacity to diagnose, treat and manage substance use disorders.
The health minister urged parents, teachers, healthcare workers and community leaders to play a more active role in protecting children from substance-related harm.
“If there’s any takeaway, let’s think about what we can do to prevent harm in our children,” he said.
Guyana’s observance formed part of the annual United Nations campaign marking the International Day Against Illicit Trafficking and Drug Abuse, which promotes evidence-based prevention, treatment and recovery programmes.
With the latest survey exposing widespread alcohol use, vaping and cannabis experimentation among secondary school students, health officials say sustained public education, stronger family support, school-based prevention programmes and expanded treatment services will be critical if Guyana is to prevent today’s troubling statistics from becoming tomorrow’s public health crisis.
