Youth Substance Abuse Merits the Same National Debate as Social Media Restrictions

The Ministry of Health’s latest findings on substance use among secondary school students raise a question that extends well beyond public health: if the Government is prepared to hold nationwide consultations on restricting young people’s access to social media, why has it not launched a similar national conversation on alcohol, vaping and cannabis use among adolescents despite evidence suggesting these pose immediate and well-documented health risks?

Speaking at Guyana’s observance of the International Day Against Illicit Trafficking and Drug Abuse, Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony disclosed that a recent screening of more than 6,000 secondary school students found that 43 per cent reported consuming alcohol, 32 per cent engaged in vaping, and five per cent admitted using cannabis.

“These results are alarming, and therefore we must develop programmes and interventions to prevent it from getting worse,” the minister said.

Dr. Anthony also acknowledged that addressing youth substance misuse requires “a multi-agency response,” recognising that the issue extends beyond the health sector and law enforcement.

Those figures are striking not simply because of their size, but because they involve substances whose health risks to adolescents are well established.

According to the World Health Organization (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 interfere with brain development during adolescence, impair learning and judgment, increase the risk of addiction, contribute to mental health disorders and negatively affect educational outcomes.

For Guyana, the implications are significant.

Nearly one in every two secondary school students surveyed reported consuming alcohol. Almost one in three reported vaping. Those figures suggest that substance use among adolescents is not an isolated problem affecting a small group of young people but one with potentially far-reaching consequences for public health, education and the country’s future workforce.

Yet while these findings are supported by data collected locally by the Ministry of Health, there has been no indication of a broad national consultation on whether existing laws regulating alcohol sales to minors, vaping products and access to cannabis are adequate or effectively enforced.

The contrast is noteworthy.

In recent months, the Government has pursued public consultations aimed to regulate or restrict children’s access to social media, with the stated objective of informing future legislation. Those discussions have centred on concerns about the possible effects of social media on young people’s mental health, safety and development.

Whether or not such restrictions are ultimately justified, the consultations reflected the Government’s view that policies affecting children should benefit from broad public participation.

The Ministry of Health’s own findings arguably present an equally compelling—if not stronger—case for a national consultation.

Unlike the social media debate, where policymakers have discussed potential harms and their application to Guyana’s context, the substance use data reveal that large numbers of Guyanese adolescents are already consuming alcohol, vaping and using cannabis. Moreover, the health risks associated with those substances during adolescence are extensively documented in international medical literature.

The latest survey therefore raises several policy questions.

Are existing restrictions on the sale of alcohol and vaping products to minors being adequately enforced? How are so many secondary school students obtaining these products? Should penalties for supplying alcohol, vaping devices or cannabis to minors be strengthened? Are school-based prevention programmes sufficient? Do parents have the information and support they need? Should Guyana adopt a comprehensive national strategy involving educators, parents, religious organisations, healthcare professionals, youth groups and law enforcement?

These questions extend beyond healthcare. They concern education, public safety, family welfare and national development.

The Government has already demonstrated its willingness to convene the country around issues affecting young people through consultations on social media regulation. The Ministry of Health’s own statistics suggest that youth substance use warrants the same level of public engagement.

If the objective is to protect children from harm, then policies should be guided by both public consultation and evidence. The newly released data provide a compelling basis for a national discussion on alcohol, vaping and cannabis use among adolescents—one that could shape prevention strategies, strengthen enforcement and inform future legislation aimed at safeguarding Guyana’s next generation.