The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has raised concern over the increasing infiltration of drug networks within tertiary and second cycle institutions, warning that substance abuse is becoming a growing threat on university campuses across the country.
The Commission said recent intelligence and enforcement operations indicate that drug-related activities are no longer confined to street-level distribution but are increasingly being recorded within educational institutions, raising fears about the exposure of young people to narcotics at an early stage of their academic lives.
Speaking on the Channel One Newsroom, the Head of Public Relations at NACOC, Francis Amoah, said the trend reflects a wider national and global drug abuse challenge that requires urgent and coordinated intervention.
He noted that even students in senior high schools are not exempt from the problem, citing instances where disciplinary actions have been taken due to drug-related cases.
“We were told at a meeting that there is a girls’ school in Ghana where 20 students have been asked to go home because of drugs,” he said, adding that the situation is not limited to secondary schools.
He further referenced concerns from university-level students, saying intelligence suggests drug use is increasingly visible on campuses.
“I was talking to my boy who is at the university. He said, ‘Dad, why did you people go to Central University to pick people?’ and I said we got intelligence that this is what they were doing. And he went like, ‘Oh, but it’s everywhere,’” he recounted.
According to him, NACOC is intensifying efforts to combat the menace across all levels of education, including collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service to strengthen prevention systems in schools.
He said the Commission has begun training counselling and guidance coordinators across the country to help identify early signs of drug use and provide timely intervention.
“We organised a seminar for counselling and guidance teachers across all regions. The aim is to equip them with the skills to identify young people involved in drugs and intervene early,” he explained.
Mr. Amoah stressed that drug use among young people, some as young as 15 years, poses a serious risk to the future of the country if not urgently addressed.
NACOC said it will continue to intensify sensitisation, enforcement, and collaboration with education authorities as part of efforts to curb the spread of drug abuse within schools and universities.
Read Also:
NACOC arrests key suspect in $296m Ghana-Australia meth case
