The Eastern Regional Command (ERC) of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES) and Promasidor Ghana, has organised a seminar for Senior High School (SHS) Guidance and Counselling Coordinators on school-based drug prevention in Koforidua.

The seminar formed part of activities marking the 2026 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, also known as World Drug Day, under the theme: “The World Drug Problem: Persisting Challenges, New Threats and Innovative Responses.”

The programme brought together Guidance and Counselling Coordinators from various Senior High Schools across the Eastern Region.

Participants were taken through emerging drug trends, early warning signs of substance abuse, counselling and intervention strategies, referral mechanisms, and practical approaches to strengthening school-based prevention efforts.

Addressing participants, the Eastern Regional Commander of NACOC, PNCO Philomina Obenewaa Sackar, said the growing challenge of substance abuse among young people requires a coordinated and proactive response from all sectors of society.

She noted that Guidance and Counselling Coordinators occupy a unique and strategic position within educational institutions, as they are often the first professionals to identify students who may be struggling with behavioural, emotional, social, or drug-related challenges.

Speaking on the theme of the seminar, “Strengthening School-Based Drug Prevention through Effective Guidance and Counselling,” PNCO Sackar stressed the importance of a collective commitment to equipping educational professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to address the evolving drug situation confronting the youth.

She further explained that NACOC recognises that effective drug prevention begins long before enforcement becomes necessary.

According to her, prevention starts with awareness creation, education, early intervention, and the provision of appropriate support systems for vulnerable individuals. She added that schools remain one of the most effective platforms for delivering such interventions.

In a brief remark, the Deputy Eastern Regional Director of GES, Mr Benjamin Narh, commended NACOC for the initiative to empower Guidance and Counselling Coordinators in the region.

He observed that drug dealers and users have become more sophisticated in their concealment methods, embedding illicit substances in everyday items consumed by students, including wee toffees, wee shito, and wee sobolo.

He therefore urged school authorities to stay ahead of these evolving tactics in order to protect students from the harmful effects of substance abuse.

Present at the seminar were the Eastern Regional Commander of NACOC, PNCO Philomina Obenewaa Sackar; the Deputy Eastern Regional Director of GES, Mr Benjamin Narh; officers of NACOC; the Eastern Regional Head of Guidance and Counselling, Mr Prince Justice Adusu; the New Juaben South Head of Guidance and Counselling, Mr Richard Ayensu; as well as Guidance and Counselling Coordinators from across the region.