Education Minister Sonia Parag issued a strong warning against the dangers of peer pressure, specifically targeting vaping and alcohol consumption among students, which she said could lead to a downward spiral of life-altering addictions.
She made the remarks at the close of a two-day Sexual and Reproductive Health Symposium held at Bartica Secondary School in Region Seven, in partnership with UNICEF, UNFPA and other United Nations agencies.
“You do not need to be cool by giving into peer pressure,” she stressed, adding, “If you find vaping, it looks cool, you may want to vape. But how many of you understand that you have the power to say no to certain things? No one needs to be like someone else and destroy their own body. How many of you know that all of these things can turn into an addiction?”
The two-day exercise, which began on Friday, brought together students and education stakeholders from Bartica Secondary and Three Miles Secondary schools, focusing on puberty, menstrual health, teenage pregnancy, gender-based violence and healthy relationships within the national Health and Family Life Education framework.
Addressing adolescent development, Parag explained that the body undergoes profound chemical changes during growth, with internal shifts in the brain influencing emotional, psychological and physical experiences. “This is a natural biological process that you cannot stop, but understanding it is the true beginning of your self-confidence and personal identity,” she said.
Parag also briefed students on the Human Papillomavirus, the primary cause of cervical cancer, noting that the virus is preventable through a vaccine the government provides free of cost. She praised the First Lady’s menstrual hygiene programme, now formally integrated and budgeted by the government, for preventing period-related school absenteeism and supporting adolescent girls’ health.
She said young men must be active, supportive participants in conversations on menstrual health and gender-based violence rather than contributors to stigma, adding: “These are conversations that should be happening today, tomorrow, because it’s real and it’s important.”
As part of the symposium, students, policymakers and international partners held a public “Period Walk” through Bartica, and participating students signed an adolescent health empowerment pledge, with posters to be displayed permanently in their schools. The symposium was backed by UN Women and PAHO WHO, with funding from the Government of Canada.
