The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has stepped up its nationwide campaign against drug abuse by engaging the National House of Chiefs in a strategic partnership aimed at tackling the growing menace, especially among the youth in the country.
The engagement, which took place on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, brought together NACOC leadership and the Standing Committee of the National House of Chiefs as part of efforts to strengthen collaboration between state institutions and traditional authorities in the fight against substance abuse and drug trafficking.
Addressing the meeting, the Director-General of NACOC, Brigadier General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, stressed the urgent need for collective national action to address what he described as an alarming rise in drug abuse across the country.
According to him, the increasing rate of substance abuse among young people poses a serious threat to national development, productivity, security, and social stability.
“The drug menace continues to rise and as a country, we need to collectively tackle it, or else we will lose our future generation to drugs,” Brig Gen Mantey warned.
He disclosed that available data from the Commission indicates that the majority of drug users in Ghana fall within the 20 to 29-year age bracket, a situation he described as deeply worrying due to its long-term impact on the country’s future workforce and human resource potential.
Brig Gen Mantey further revealed that cannabis remains the most commonly abused drug in Ghana, despite ongoing enforcement and public education campaigns.
As part of the engagement, the NACOC boss outlined several achievements recorded by the Commission over the past year, including major arrests, intelligence-led raids, seizures, and successful prosecutions aimed at disrupting drug trafficking and abuse networks operating within the country.
He noted that while law enforcement efforts remain critical, defeating the drug menace requires stronger community participation and sustained public awareness campaigns.
The Director-General therefore appealed to chiefs and traditional authorities to take a frontline role in the anti-drug campaign by supporting early reporting mechanisms, intelligence sharing, youth sensitisation programmes, and community education initiatives.
Recognising the influence of traditional leaders within their communities, Brig Gen Mantey urged chiefs to use traditional gatherings and cultural platforms to spread anti-drug messages and educate the youth on the dangers associated with substance abuse.
“We appeal to our esteemed chiefs to use festivals, durbars, and all other traditional gatherings for anti-drug campaigns and awareness,” he stated.
He also used the occasion to officially invite the National House of Chiefs to participate in this year’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, popularly known as World Drug Day, scheduled to take place on June 26, 2026, at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).
Responding on behalf of the traditional leaders, the President of the National House of Chiefs, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, commended NACOC for its relentless efforts in combating drug abuse and pledged the full support of chiefs across the country.
He assured the Commission of the readiness of traditional authorities to partner government agencies in protecting the youth from the devastating effects of narcotics and substance abuse.
Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II also called on the media to play a more active role in the national anti-drug campaign by dedicating more airtime and platforms to public education and awareness programmes on substance abuse.
According to him, consistent public sensitisation remains one of the most effective tools in addressing the growing challenge among young people.
The collaboration between NACOC and the National House of Chiefs is expected to strengthen community-level interventions and reinforce the national fight against drug abuse as authorities work to safeguard the future of Ghana’s youth.
With drug abuse increasingly affecting families and communities across the country, stakeholders believe stronger partnerships between government institutions, traditional authorities, the media, schools, and civil society organisations will be critical in reversing the worrying trend.
By 1960news.com
