The Ministry of Education has launched a nationwide Behavioural Change Communication campaign to combat drug abuse in schools, introducing a daily anti-drug awareness message that will be recited in all pre-tertiary institutions across Ghana.
The initiative, unveiled in collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior and the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), forms part of the government's efforts to protect learners from substance abuse and promote safe, healthy and disciplined learning environments.
As part of the campaign, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has directed the Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES) to implement the daily anti-drug message with immediate effect.
According to the Ministry, students will recite the approved message during morning assembly immediately after the National Anthem and before the National Pledge.
The campaign message will be delivered in a call-and-response format, with the leader saying, "Don't start tasagreeting," and students responding, "To live in regret."
Behavioural Change Strategy
The Ministry said the directive forms part of a broader Behavioural Change Communication strategy aimed at discouraging drug use among school-aged children through preventive education and positive behavioural reinforcement.
Officials explained that the initiative is intended to encourage responsible decision-making among learners while raising awareness about the dangers associated with substance abuse.
The campaign will also include sustained public education programmes, school-based sensitisation activities and stakeholder engagement involving parents, community leaders, educational institutions and other partners.
In a statement signed by the Press Secretary to the Minister for Education, Hashmin Mohammed, the Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the wellbeing and future of every learner.
It called on parents, teachers, traditional leaders and the wider public to support the campaign to eliminate drug abuse from Ghana's schools.
The Ministry expressed confidence that stronger collaboration among key stakeholders would help create safer educational environments and reduce the growing threat of substance abuse among children and young people across the country.
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