World Drug Day Study Reveals High Substance Use Among Youth in La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipal

As Ghana joined the global community to mark World Drug Day 2026 under the theme “World drug problem: Persisting issues, new challenges, innovative responses,” stakeholders renewed calls for stronger action to protect young people from the growing threat of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.

A baseline study conducted by the Research and Consultancy Centre of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA-RCC), in collaboration with the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), revealed alarming levels of substance use among youth in the La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipality. The study focused on young people aged 15 to 35 years across five suburbs: Madina, Teiman, West Adenta, Pantang, and Oyarifa, analyzing 1,039 valid responses.

The findings showed that 45.1% of respondents had used a substance for non-medical or recreational purposes at some point in their lives. Madina emerged as the highest-risk area with a lifetime prevalence rate of 73.5%, while Pantang recorded the lowest at 30.5%. Alcohol was the most commonly used substance, reported by 40.8% of all respondents, followed by prescription medicines, cannabis, tobacco, shisha, tramadol, codeine-based products, inhalants, and energy drinks mixed with other substances.

Substance use was unevenly distributed across the municipality, with Madina standing out as the epicenter due to its high prevalence, perceived easy access to substances, and low peer-refusal capacity among youth. Although awareness of substance abuse was widespread—94.9% of respondents had heard about it and 77% had received some form of sensitization—only 6.6% of those sensitized had been reached through NACOC campaigns, highlighting a significant gap in outreach.

Schools were identified as the strongest channel for sensitization, followed by radio, television, and social media. However, the report noted that many out-of-school youth, unemployed young people, and apprentices may not be adequately reached through school-based programs, despite being among the most vulnerable groups.

Peer influence was a major driver, with 42.9% of users reporting introduction to substances by friends. Common reasons for use included peer pressure, stress, unemployment, curiosity, weak family support, easy availability, and social media influence. The average age of first substance use was 18.7 years, underscoring the need for early prevention education targeting both in-school and out-of-school youth.

Relapse rates were alarmingly high: 84.5% of young people who attempted to quit returned to substance use, primarily due to cravings, stress, peer pressure, family problems, and lack of structured support. Despite the presence of Pantang Hospital, a major mental health facility within the municipality, very few young people accessed formal health facility or rehabilitation support, indicating gaps in referral, counseling, treatment, and community-based recovery systems.

The study recommended designating Madina as a priority intervention zone due to its high prevalence, easy access to substances, and low peer-refusal capacity. It called for expanding sensitization through radio, television, social media, and community platforms, especially in areas where NACOC campaign reach remains low. Prevention efforts must move beyond awareness creation to include practical peer-refusal skills training, life-skills development, and youth-focused behavioral change education.

Other recommendations included establishing structured referral pathways linking youth to Pantang Hospital, counseling services, community-based cessation support, and rehabilitation services; targeted outreach to out-of-school youth, apprentices, and unemployed young people through markets, vocational centers, faith-based organizations, and community groups; developing peer educator networks; forming pharmacy partnerships to address prescription medicine misuse; creating community-based cessation support groups and family-based prevention programs; engaging religious and traditional leaders; improving supply-side controls in collaboration with the Food and Drugs Authority; and conducting regular municipal surveys every two to three years to track progress and measure intervention impact.

The research aligns with multiple Sustainable Development Goals: Goal (SDGs): SDG 3 (good health and well-being) by providing evidence for prevention, treatment, counseling, and referral; SDG 4 (quality education) by highlighting the need for school-based education, life-skills training, and prevention messages for both in-school and out-of-school youth; SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth) by linking youth substance use to unemployment, apprenticeship settings, and livelihood vulnerability; and SDG 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions) by promoting safer communities, evidence-based drug-control decisions, stronger institutions, and coordinated local action against substance abuse and illicit trafficking.

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