Major General Maxwell Obuba, the Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), has expressed alarm over the alarmingly low age at which some Ghanaians start experimenting with narcotics, claiming that the pattern poses a grave risk to the youth of the country.
According to him, a 2025 study from the University of Ghana School of Public Health revealed that 10% of drug users began before turning 15, and 54% began before turning 19.
Obuba said the data underscore the degree to which opioid abuse in particular has broke through some communities and exposed children to its harmful consequences at a young age.
During the International Youth Day celebration in Kumasi on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, he delivered his comments and urged for better support systems, public education, and preventive actions to combat drug usage among young people.
He said, “Those figures should give us pause and make us consider how profoundly opioid usage and misuse have affected some of our communities.”
The Director-General of NACOC emphasized the necessity of paying more attention to prevention, claiming that interventions must start early enough to prevent kids and teens from developing substance use problems.
He stated that everyone has a part to play in educating youngsters about the dangers of drug use and making sure that those who are at risk get the help they need, including families, schools, communities, and relevant state institutions.
Also, Maj. Gen. Obuba revealed that 1,179 individuals received therapy for substance use problems in 2025 at 30 treatment centers located throughout the nation.
He emphasized the enormous weight of drug usage among persons in their productive years, pointing out that 88.5% of those who received care were between the ages of 20 and 44.
He claimed that the statistics underline the necessity for Ghana to combine enforcement actions with prevention, education, treatment, and rehabilitation in order to properly address the drug use issue.
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