Sunyani, Jan. 11, GNA - The sale of St Valentine Day items are on a low side as compared to last year's sales, some traders in the Sunyani Municipality have told the GNA.

"People often ask for the price of chocolate but when you tell them they say the price is too high and leave or buy other things," Mrs. Venda Yeboah, a trade, said.

She however expressed the hope that people would patronize the items before Valentines Day.

A civil servant, Mr. Kwadwo Debrah, said the youth had changed the meaning of St Valentine Day, which is supposed to be a period to exchange gifts, to engage in promiscuity. "The youth of today have made the celebration to look immoral and wi= ll not even allow the elders to teach them what the real meaning of the occasion is", he said. He said the celebration had given rise to sexual promiscuity by some o= f the youth. Mr. Ofori Francis, a student, said he had no intention of celebrating the Day 93because the true meaning of St Valentine Day has been changed fr= om good to bad by most people, especially the youth". He said the level of moral decadence had become evident with the announcement that condom was in short supply in most parts of the country because of the excessive demand for it.

The interviewees said it was good chocolate was made the number one gift item for St Valentine Day and appealed to the government not to celebrate chocolate day only on St Valentine Day and to make the chocolate affordable.