University Admissions: NACOC Wants Mandatory Drug Tests Added to Medical Requirements

• Ghana's Narcotics Control Commission has asked university management to include drug screening in standard pre-admission medical examinations
• NACOC is seeking legal backing to extend compulsory drug testing beyond security services recruitment to cover tertiary institutions and National Service
• Over 6,000 out of 100,000 applicants tested positive for prohibited substances during this year's security services recruitment exercise

Ghana's Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) is pushing for mandatory drug testing to become a standard component of university admission requirements, arguing that early detection is critical to reducing substance abuse among young people.

Alexander Twum-Barimah, the Deputy Director-General in charge of Enforcement, Control and Elimination at NACOC, disclosed during an appearance on Joy FM's Super Morning Show on Thursday, July 30, 2026.

He said the Commission was seeking legislative support to formalise the requirement across both public and private universities.

Twum-Barimah said the proposal was straightforward to implement because universities already required incoming students to undergo medical examinations before enrolment.

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Adding drug screening to that process, he argued, would create an early warning system for substance abuse.

"When we are admitted, we do the medical. Part of that medical background should be your drug test."

The NACOC official also proposed extending compulsory testing to the point of National Service entry, suggesting the prospect of a mandatory test before graduation would serve as a deterrent throughout a student's university years.

Security Services Recruitment Results Inform Proposal

The proposal builds on compulsory drug screening introduced this year for applicants to the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Prisons Service and Ghana National Fire Service.

Twum-Barimah said more than 100,000 candidates were screened during that recruitment exercise, and approximately 6,000 tested positive for prohibited substances.

He said those figures highlighted how necessary it was to intervene at an earlier stage, before students completed their studies and entered the labour market.

The deputy director-general also pointed to a growing pattern of drug-laced food, drinks and confectionery being sold on campuses, and described peer influence as the primary driver of substance abuse among students, with senior colleagues frequently introducing younger students to narcotics.

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NACOC sends strong warning to Ghanaian students

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh previously reported that the Commission warned that drug traders are increasingly targeting Senior High Schools and universities across Ghana.

Officials said substance abuse is becoming widespread on campuses, with some schools already suspending students over drug-related offences.

NACOC said it was working with the Ministry of Education and GES to train counsellors and intensify awareness campaigns to curb the growing threat.

Source: YEN.com.gh