The Narcotics Control Commission(NACOC) destroyed illicit drugs valued at about GH¢37 million on June 24, this year, as part of efforts to prevent seized narcotic substances from finding their way back into circulation.
The destruction, which followed court approval, formed part of measures under the Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019) aimed at strengthening the country's response to illicit drug trafficking while promoting a public health approach to drug use.
A Principal Narcotics Control Officer at NACOC, PNCO Sylvester Koomson, revealed this during a presentation at the second National Dialogue on Drug Policy, Human Rights and Health in Accra last Wednesday.
"In the year 2026, just about a week ago, we destroyed drugs valued at about GH¢37 million. The destruction was carried out on June 24 after the necessary court approval," he said.
The dialogue, organised by the Narcotics Control Commission in collaboration with the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC), WAPCAS Plus, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Joint UNAIDS and other national and international partners was on the theme “Advancing from Law to Implementation”.
Act 1019 achievements
Mr Koomson said the passage of Act 1019 had transformed the country's drug control framework by shifting the country's response from a purely criminal justice model to one that balanced law enforcement with public health interventions.
He said the Act had expanded NACOC's mandate, resulting in increased staffing, wider operational coverage and enhanced enforcement capabilities as the commission's workforce had increased from fewer than 500 officers before the law was passed to 921 officers in 2024 and 1,389 officers in 2025.
Arrests, seizures
Mr Koomson said the commission's enhanced operational capacity had yielded significant results, including the arrest of 250 high-value drug traffickers and seized 1.4 tonnes of illicit drugs, disrupting trafficking networks and limiting the circulation of dangerous substances in 2025.
He added that the commission also confiscated 73 tainted assets, comprising movable and immovable properties linked to drug trafficking.
He said proceeds amounting to about GH¢6 million were also seized as part of efforts to deprive criminals of the financial benefits of illicit drug activities.
"One of the hard-hitting areas is to dispossess drug dealers of whatever they have acquired. If you are able to do that, it is probably one of the best ways to deal with the drug problem," he said.
A Professor at the School of Public Health of the University of Ghana, Prof. Samuel K. Dery, said findings from a national survey among people who used drugs pointed to the urgent need to expand treatment and mental health services.
He explained that the study focused on people who used drugs associated with HIV, and was not a general population survey on drug use.
The study, he said, mapped drug use hotspots, estimated the number of people who used drugs, assessed HIV prevalence and examined behavioural and mental health issues among drug users.
Prof. Dery said 4,031 people participated in the survey, comprising 3,257 non-injecting drug users and 774 injecting drug users from across the country.
He said about 88 per cent of non-injecting drug users and 93 per cent of injecting drug users interviewed were males, HIV prevalence among non-injecting drug users was 3.9 per cent but increased to 17 per cent among female users.
Among injecting drug users, HIV prevalence stood at 1.5 per cent, rising to 4.1 per cent among females.
He said the survey also revealed that drug use often started at an early age, with about 10 per cent of respondents reporting that they began using drugs before the age of 15, while more than half had started drug use by age 19.
