The Ahafo Regional Command of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has extended its anti-drug sensitisation campaign to selected basic and senior high schools (SHSs) in Tepa, in the Ahafo Ano North Municipality of the Ashanti Region.

The campaign forms part of activities marking the 2026 World Drug Day.

Mr Emmanuel Omari Abankwa, Assistant Narcotics Control Officer (ANCO) and Acting Ahafo Regional Commander of NACOC, said the initiative was aimed at educating students on the dangers of substance abuse and its consequences on their future.

He urged students to desist from drug use, warning that it could truncate their education and ruin their prospects.

The campaign, organised in collaboration with the Ahafo Ano North Municipal Directorate of Education, was on the theme: “The World Drug Problem: Persisting Issues, New Challenges, and Innovative Responses.”

More than 2,000 students and teachers from Tepa Roman Catholic Basic School, Wesley Methodist Basic School, Saviour Municipal Assembly Basic School, Tepa Anglican Basic School, and Tepa Senior High School participated in the programme.

Participants were taken through the dangers of substance and drug abuse, emerging trends in illicit drug use, and innovative ways of addressing the global drug problem.

Addressing the forum, Mr Abankwa advised students to adopt healthy lifestyles by abstaining from substance abuse.

He expressed concern about the increasing global trend in drug misuse, particularly the growing use of synthetic drugs.

He attributed the trend partly to their relatively low production cost and noted that technology was increasingly being used to market and distribute illicit drugs.

Mr Abankwa further encouraged students to remain disciplined, reject drug use, and report drug-related activities to law enforcement agencies such as NACOC and the Police.

ANCO Patience Nyagah, Head of the Drug Demand Reduction Unit of the Ahafo Regional Command, said society would be safer if citizens complied with the country’s laws.

She cautioned students against substance abuse and urged them to resist peer pressure by maintaining healthy lifestyles.

Mr Combert Nicholas, Public Relations Officer of the Ahafo Ano North Municipal Directorate of Education, expressed appreciation to NACOC for the initiative and advised students to refrain from engaging in drug-related activities.

Reverend Evans Ofori, Head of the Guidance and Counselling Unit at Tepa Senior High School, warned that any student found engaging in drug-related activities would face severe sanctions.