Actress Beverly Afaglo has expressed her deep concerns regarding the rising trend of smoking and drinking among today’s youth.
In an interview on Accra FM, she reflected on the stark differences between her upbringing in the 1980s and the current lifestyle choices of young people.
“The smoking and the drinking is too much. For those of us who were born in the 80s, our time, when you hear someone smokes, it means they are so bad as truants,” Beverly remarked, highlighting how societal perceptions of smoking have shifted over the years.
She acknowledged that while the world has become more exposed and liberal regarding substances like marijuana, she believes many young people are engaging in these activities prematurely.
“It’s okay. The world is exposed now, and weed is not seen as something that bad, but you are too young to engage in things like that,” she cautioned.
Beverly described the current lifestyle choices of many youth, noting that it has become common for them to rent Airbnbs for parties where they indulge in excessive drinking and smoking, often to the point of not remembering the events of the night.
In her passionate discussion, Beverly also touched upon the ongoing health concerns surrounding HIV/AIDS. “I get so worried about HIV that it is not loud anymore; when we were growing up, HIV was in our faces on TV. We were seeing people sick and losing weight drastically,” she explained.
She lamented that the severity of the disease seems to have diminished in the eyes of today’s youth, who might not feel the same urgency to avoid risky behaviors.
“You wouldn’t be like that, so you won’t engage in these things, but the kids of today, they understand HIV can be well managed now, so they are not bothered,” Beverly stated, emphasizing her worry about the potential consequences of this mindset.
As of recent reports, approximately 350,000 people are living with HIV in Ghana. Notably, about 71% of these individuals are aware of their HIV status, and an impressive 99% of those diagnosed are receiving sustained antiretroviral therapy (ART).
However, adherence to ART remains a challenge due to factors such as the stigma associated with HIV and a lack of social support.
In the first half of 2022, there were about 23,495 new HIV infections reported, which indicates a rising trend in new cases.
The Ghana National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) has linked the high rates of transmission to low contraceptive usage and varying sexual behaviours across different demographics.
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