Kumasi: Over 82,500 people in Ghana are currently ensnared in illicit drug addiction, according to a recent disclosure by Major General Maxwell Obubia, the Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC). Speaking at the National Youth Conference held at the KNUST Great Hall, Major General Obubia highlighted the pressing issue of substance abuse among the youth, which poses a significant threat to the nation's future development prospects.
According to Ghana Web, Major General Obubia cited a 2025 study by the University of Ghana School of Public Health to underscore the gravity of the situation. The research found that the Ashanti Region alone accounts for 16,300 of the total drug users, and alarmingly, 10% of those involved in drug abuse are teenagers around 15 years old.
In 2025, a total of 1,569 individuals received formal rehabilitation and medical treatment for severe drug addiction, as reported by Major General Obubia. The revelation that substance abuse has infiltrated the healthcare sector, affecting trained medical personnel, was particularly shocking for conference participants. Among those treated were three medical doctors, two pharmacists, and three nurses, illustrating that drug addiction transcends professional and social boundaries.
Major General Obubia implored the youth at the conference to avoid narcotics, stressing the irreversible damage that illegal drug use can have on one's physiological, mental, and career prospects. He emphasized the critical role that young people play as future leaders, innovators, and professionals, warning that drug abuse jeopardizes their personal lives and the nation's development goals.
He also called on community leaders, parents, educational institutions, and religious bodies to collaborate closely with NACOC to enhance public education and dismantle drug-peddling networks around school campuses and residential areas. The three-day National Youth Conference aimed to unite youth groups, policy experts, and state agencies in discussing strategies for youth empowerment, moral rebuilding, and national transformation.