Alcoholic 'Bitters' Killing Ghanaian Youth

A 70-year old retired nurse, Madam Elizabeth Gyamena has stated that too much dependency on alcoholic beverages particularly the youth is causing the loss of many lives.

She noted although she could not back it with empirical evidence, majority of the people, particularly men were now depending on varieties of alcoholic drinks, popularly called 'bitters' for sexual potency.

She said the intake rather made most men sexually weak and eventually caused premature deaths of some of them.

Mad. Gyamena made the observation in an address at the third 'Super Champions Women Conference' to mark the Brong-Ahafo Regional celebration of this year's International World Rural Women's Day celebration at Techiman.

The programme jointly organised by the Ghana Federation of Agricultural Producers (GFAP) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was on the theme 'Building Capacity for Women Empowerment-Rural Women Promoting Seed and Nutrition'.

It aimed at sensitising women farmers on personal hygiene and food nutrition to be in good state of health to produce abundantly to support themselves and the nation in general.

In addition the programme was designed to equip them with modern farming skills so as to produce in large quantities to alleviate themselves from poverty.

She wished the sale of all types of 'bitters' could be abolished because the consumers were being deceived that they were drinking herbal mixtures but rather were taking in alcohol to destroy their lives.

Mad. Gyamena advised the general public to eat more vegetables and fruits for 'perfect strength' which could build their immune systems to fight diseases and infections for longer lives.

She advised farmers not to sell all the fruits and vegetables they produced and later used the monies for medications which might also have so much consequences on their body systems.

Nana Afena Nketia II, the Twafohene of Techiman Traditional Area entreated rural women farmers to practise mixed farming so that they could derive maximum financial returns to support themselves and their families.

Nana Nketia II advised them not to be content with the sizes of their farms, but must work towards the level of practising mechanised farming by responding to agricultural innovations to produce in large quantities not only for local consumption but for export.

He said 'farming is a very good business if production is on a very large scale' and urged them to form associations so that they could assess loans to expand their farms from time to time.

Mad. Gladys Adusah, the President of Women in Agriculture Businesses Network Ghana (WIANG) advised women farmers to make farming attractive to attract more people, especially the youth into farming.

The International Day of Rural Women is observed on October 12 annually to recognise the role of rural women in enhancing agriculture and rural development, improving food security and eradicating rural poverty.