By Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News|
BARTICA, GUYANA — Emphasizing internal personal identity over destructive social trends, Minister of Education Sonia Parag delivered a highly candid, interactive address to hundreds of secondary school students in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), challenging them to fiercely resist negative peer pressure and avoid the mounting health complications associated with vaping and early alcohol abuse.
The ministerial charge was delivered directly at the second annual Bartica Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Symposium, a comprehensive two-day youth assembly hosted at the Bartica Secondary School. Executed within the national Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) curriculum framework, the high-visibility event brought together senior students and instructional staff from both Bartica Secondary and Three Miles Secondary schools to openly navigate critical developmental milestones.
Stepping away from traditional, formal lecturing, Minister Parag engaged the assembly with direct, thought-provoking questions regarding modern teenage social habits.
“How many of you think that because your friend is doing something, it is cool to do, so you’re influenced by it?” Minister Parag asked, prompting open reflection across the auditorium. “How many of you, if your friend is vaping and it looks cool, they make it look cool, you want to vape too?”
The Education Minister reminded the teenagers that the capacity to comfortably say “no” to harmful substances is not a marker of social weakness or isolation, but rather a profound sign of personal confidence, self-worth, and psychological maturity. She warned that yielding to these habits out of a desire for temporary peer validation frequently traps young people in life-altering addictions that permanently derail their educational opportunities and erode their long-term well-being.
The minister’s policy warning aligns closely with recent medical data publicized by prominent local clinical experts. Speaking on a recent episode of the state-vetted broadcast podcast Sources, prominent Guyanese cardiologist Dr. Mahendra Carpen issued a stern warning regarding the devastating, long-term physiological toll electronic smoking platforms place on adolescent development.
“Particularly or specific to heart disease, what we are finding or what we can look for at a young age is a major risk factor for early cardiovascular failure,” Dr. Carpen explained, debunking the pervasive corporate myth that battery-powered e-cigarettes represent a harmless, clean alternative to traditional tobacco smoking. “Research proves that the chemical aerosol is highly volatile and uniquely dangerous to the young brain, lungs, and heart tissues.”
A standard vaping device utilizes an internal lithium battery to superheat localized chemical liquids into a dense aerosol. This mist frequently carries highly concentrated doses of addictive nicotine, toxic flavorings, heavy metal particulates, and volatile organic compounds that immediately scar delicate pulmonary tissues upon inhalation.
Beyond addressing substance use, the two-day symposium saw Minister Parag brief the student body on the critical importance of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine provided completely free of cost by the state to eliminate regional cervical cancer risks. The regional health summit concluded with international agency partners leading the students through the streets of the township for a high-energy public awareness “Period Walk” to eliminate menstrual health taboos, culminating in participating scholars signing an enlarged, permanent school pledge to consistently prioritize informed, positive lifestyle choices.
