The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has raised fresh concerns over the scale of drug abuse among young Ghanaians, with more than 82,500 people recorded as being trapped in illicit drug use nationwide.
NACOC Director-General Major General Maxwell Obubia disclosed the figures while speaking as a special guest on the second day of the National Youth Conference at the KNUST Great Hall in Kumasi.
According to him, the scale of the problem is particularly troubling in the Ashanti Region, which recorded about 16,300 drug users in 2025 alone.
The figures were based on research conducted by the University of Ghana School of Public Health in 2025.
Major General Obubia also disclosed that about 10 percent of those involved in drug abuse were teenagers around 15 years old, highlighting concerns over the growing exposure of young people to narcotics.
He said 1,569 people received formal medical treatment and rehabilitation for severe drug addiction in 2025.
Among those treated were professionals in the healthcare sector, including three medical doctors, two pharmacists and three nurses.
“In 2025 alone, 1,569 people received medical treatment for drug addiction. Tragically, those receiving treatment included three medical doctors, two pharmacists, and three nurses. This shows that drug addiction does not discriminate by profession or social standing; it is a destructive force that spares no one,” he said.
Major General Obubia warned that the growing prevalence of substance abuse could undermine Ghana’s human resource development by taking a toll on the health, education and careers of young people.
He urged the young participants at the conference to avoid narcotics, stressing the long-term physical, mental and professional consequences associated with drug abuse.
The NACOC chief also called for stronger cooperation among parents, community leaders, schools and religious organisations to intensify public education and help disrupt drug distribution networks operating around schools and residential communities.
The three-day National Youth Conference brought together youth groups, policy experts and state agencies to discuss youth empowerment, moral development and strategies for national transformation.
