'Drug abuse threatens Ghana’s future' — Manhyia South MP calls for national action

The Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Hon. Lawyer Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, has expressed deep concern over the growing menace of drug abuse among Ghanaian youth, warning that the situation poses a serious threat to the country's future if urgent measures are not taken.

Contributing to a statement delivered by the Minister for the Interior, Hon. Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, on the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Parliament on Thursday, June 25, 2026, the MP stressed the need for a collective national response to the challenge.

“Drugs have become a big issue in this country,” Hon. Baffour Awuah told Parliament. “Mr. Speaker, when you go around the country, the drug menace is really destroying the youth of this country, and I think the need has arisen for us to pay very serious attention to it.”

According to him, the fight against drug abuse should not be left solely in the hands of security agencies, but should involve all segments of society.

“We cannot just leave it to the security agencies alone to combat it. We should get everybody on board, particularly the Church and all religious groups, influential members of society, traditional leaders, and opinion leaders,” he stated.

The Manhyia South legislator disclosed that he had previously initiated an anti-drug campaign in his constituency by partnering with churches to provide counselling and public education to young people.

“There was an initiative I undertook in my constituency where I got the Church involved in fighting the problem through counselling and campaigns. Maybe it is something we can consider on a national scale because drugs are really destroying the youth in this country,” he said.

Hon. Baffour Awuah lamented that many young people have dropped out of school and are unable to work productively due to drug addiction, describing the trend as a major setback to national development.

“A lot of them have dropped out of school, and some are not able to work. We should not limit our fight against drug abuse to just today because the future belongs to the youth. If we stand by and allow them to be destroyed by drugs, we will certainly have no future as a country,” he cautioned.

The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is observed annually to strengthen action and cooperation in achieving a world free of drug abuse and illicit trafficking.