The Ministry of Education has introduced a mandatory daily anti-drug awareness message in all public pre-tertiary schools across Ghana as part of a nationwide strategy to combat the growing incidence of substance abuse among school children.

The directive, issued by the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, requires the Ghana Education Service (GES) to immediately implement the daily anti-drug campaign in all basic and second-cycle institutions, making it a compulsory part of morning assemblies.

The new policy forms part of the government’s Behavioural Change Communication (BCC) Campaign, an initiative jointly launched by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of the Interior and the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) to discourage drug use among young people and promote safer learning environments.

Under the directive, students will recite an officially approved anti-drug message every morning immediately after the singing of the National Anthem and before the National Pledge.

The campaign adopts a call-and-response format in which the assembly leader will declare, “Don’t start it as a greeting,” with students responding, “To live in regret.”

According to the Ministry of Education, the daily recitation is intended to reinforce anti-drug messages among learners, shape responsible behaviour and strengthen preventive education against substance abuse at an early age.

The initiative comes amid growing concerns over increasing reports of drug abuse involving school-aged children, with education authorities and security agencies warning about the dangers posed by narcotic substances to students’ academic performance, health and future prospects.

Officials believe that sustained behavioural education within schools will complement existing law enforcement efforts aimed at reducing the availability and use of illicit drugs among young people.

Beyond the compulsory morning assembly recitation, the Behavioural Change Communication Campaign will include continuous public education programmes, school-based sensitisation activities, stakeholder engagements and community outreach initiatives designed to educate students on the dangers associated with drug abuse.

The Ministry also plans to strengthen collaboration with parents, teachers, community leaders, religious organisations and civil society groups to ensure a coordinated national response to substance abuse among children and adolescents.

In announcing the policy, the Ministry described the initiative as part of government’s broader commitment to protecting learners from the harmful effects of narcotic drugs while promoting healthy lifestyles, discipline and responsible decision-making in schools.

The Ministry noted that creating safe learning environments requires the collective support of all stakeholders and therefore called on parents, teachers, school administrators, traditional authorities and community leaders to actively participate in the nationwide campaign.

Government believes that sustained awareness creation, combined with preventive education and stronger community involvement, will help reduce drug experimentation among young people and safeguard the country’s future generation.