NACOC Sends Strong Warning to Ghanaian Students Over Substance Abuse
- The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has warned that drug syndicates are increasingly targeting Senior High Schools and universities across Ghana
- Officials say substance abuse is becoming widespread on campuses, with some schools already suspending students over drug-related offences
- NACOC said it is working with the Ministry of Education and GES to train counsellors and intensify awareness campaigns to curb the growing threat
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Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has warned that illicit drug networks are increasingly infiltrating Senior High Schools (SHS) and universities nationwide, posing a severe threat to students.
Recent intelligence reveals that drug syndicates are moving beyond street peddling to operate directly within educational institutions.
Source: UGC
Speaking on Channel One Newsroom, NACOC’s Head of Public Relations, Francis Amoah, stated that many schools have already enforced strict disciplinary penalties against students for drug offences.
Illustrating the severity of the crisis in second-cycle schools, Amoah shared a recent report.
“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 substabce abuse.”
In a report by Citinewsroom, the Commission disclosed that substance abuse is also becoming highly visible on university campuses. Amoah recounted a conversation with his son to highlight how common the practice has become:
“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 remarked.
To combat this threat, NACOC is partnering with the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service to train guidance and counselling coordinators across all regions.
“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 substance abuse and intervene early,” Amoah noted.
The agency has pledged to sustain aggressive awareness campaigns and tighten campus enforcement to protect Ghana's youth.
NACOC arrests kingpin in illicit substance trade
In a related development, YEN.com.gh reported that the NACOC had arrested the main suspect linked to an international drug trade syndicate behind the seizure of 320 kilogrammes of methamphetamine intercepted in Australia.
The illicit substance were reportedly concealed in charcoal exported from Ghana, prompting a joint three-month intelligence operation involving Ghana’s security agencies.
Authorities said the wider network is still under investigation, with more arrests expected as the crackdown continues.
Source: YEN.com.gh
