Officials of the Ghana Education Service in the Upper West region have dismissed the findings of a research which revealed the increasing use of drugs by students in the region. The research, which was conducted by the National Youth Authority, shows 68 percent of students in the Senior High and Junior High Schools in the region have been involved in a drug related issue. An administrative assistant with the Authority, Gbenya Worlanyo Besa says the figures are alarming. “It has come to light that close to 68 per cent of those interviewed have confessed being involved in drug abuse issues. “…That is a frightening thing to us because if students who are supposed to be the bedrock of the nations development or the human capital of Ghana are giving themselves to activities that can jeopardize their abilities. We should try as much as we can to curb.” He cited the heckling of the teachers and poor academic performance by the students as examples of the drug use. However Education authorities are challenging the research findings. Upper West Regional Director of the (GES), Iddrisu Mahama says the findings are inaccurate. “There is nobody who is allowed to enter schools and do whatever he wants without going through the structures. He said the Guidance and Counseling officers in the schools are well equipped to identify drug abuse cases in the schools, if indeed there were those cases. He said the few cases of heckling of teachers by the students are not enough justification of drug use by the students.