The Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, has raised concern over the high HIV prevalence among people who use drugs in the Ashanti Region.

According to him, HIV prevalence among people who use drugs in the region stands at 6.6%, compared with the national prevalence rate of 1.4%.

Major General Mantey disclosed this during the National Youth Day celebration in Kumasi, where he highlighted data on drug use and its impact on young people.

He said research conducted by the University of Ghana School of Public Health in 2025 estimated that 82,500 people use drugs in Ghana.

The substances include heroin, cocaine, tramadol and methamphetamine, he said, noting that the figure excludes cannabis, which he described as the most abused drug in the country.

“Research conducted by the University of Ghana School of Public Health in 2025 estimated that there are 82,500 people who use drugs in Ghana,” he said.

Major General Mantey added that 16,300 of those people are in the Ashanti Region.

“Out of this, 16,300 are coming from this region, Ashanti Region. HIV prevalence among persons who use drugs in the Ashanti Region was 6.6 percent, several times above the national average of 1.4,” he said.

He further disclosed that 10% of people who use drugs begin before the age of 15, while 54% start before the age of 19.

“Those figures should make us pause and think about how deeply opioid use and misuse have penetrated some of our communities,” he said.

Major General Mantey also revealed that in 2025, 1,179 people received treatment for substance use disorders at 30 treatment centres across the country.

Of those who received treatment, 88.5% were aged between 20 and 44 years.

He said the figures underscore the need for stronger interventions to address the health and social consequences of substance abuse, particularly among young people.

The NACOC Director-General also appealed to the youth to avoid drug abuse, drawing on personal experiences of friends whose prospects, he said, had been affected by substance use.

He criticised people involved in drug trafficking for selling substances they would not want their own children to consume.

Major General Mantey urged young people to look to successful public officials and other leaders as examples of what can be achieved without resorting to drugs.

“What has propelled them to where they have gotten to? If you continue to use drugs or know somebody and shield the person, a time will come when nobody will stand here for you,” he warned.

He further cautioned against the consequences of persistent drug abuse.

“We will leave you to decay in the ghettos. And if narcotics come for you, there are two people who will free you, God and the court,” he said.

Major General Mantey said the scale of drug use among young people and its associated health risks should prompt stronger prevention, treatment and rehabilitation efforts.