Over 8,000 students across five senior high schools in the Manya Krobo districts received urgent drug abuse education last week through a collaborative campaign that traditional leaders describe as critically timed intervention in a deepening youth crisis.
The weeklong “Say No to Drug Abuse, Embrace Life” initiative brought together Tema Community 25 Lions Club, Accra Golden Lions Club, two Rotary Clubs, the Food and Drugs Authority, and the Ngmayem Festival Planning Committee to address what civic organizations increasingly recognize as a medical emergency requiring immediate attention. Community information centres broadcast prevention messages twice daily, reaching an estimated 20,000 additional residents across both Lower and Upper Manya Krobo Districts.
Civic organizations and traditional leaders in the Krobo area have expressed concern over rising drug abuse among senior high school students, cautioning that the trend could jeopardize the future of youth if left unchecked. The campaign’s October timing preceded the annual Ngmayem Festival, when substance use typically surges during celebrations.
Lion Dr. Ralph Tettey-Amlalo, president of Tema Community 25 Lions Club and campaign coordinator, explained how the team discovered students concealing substances in creative ways. Young people mix drugs in beverages or misuse painkillers as stimulants, demonstrating sophistication that demands equally strategic responses from educators and health officials. The campaign aimed not simply to warn students but to guide them toward responsibility and hope.
The initiative began with a courtesy visit to Nene Sakite II, Konor of Manya Krobo, where organizers briefed traditional leaders about planned activities. Following Krobo custom, the team presented two bottles of schnapps as tokens of goodwill before entering the traditional area. The Manya Krobo Traditional Council pledged full support and commended organizers for addressing social concerns affecting youth.
FDA officials educated students at five schools about dangers associated with codeine, tramadol, cannabis, and shisha during interactive sessions. Asesewa Senior High School, Krobo Girls Senior High School, Akro Senior High Technical School, Manya Krobo Senior High School, and Akuse Methodist Senior High Technical School each hosted presentations where students who answered questions correctly received branded t-shirts and educational materials.
FDA Principal Regulatory Officer David Arhin cautioned that many students underestimate substance effects until damage becomes irreversible. He stressed the necessity of sustained public education and parental vigilance as cornerstones of effective prevention. Without continuous awareness efforts, young people remain vulnerable to peer pressure and misinformation about drug safety.
John Atteh Matey, Municipal Chief Executive of Lower Manya Krobo, likened the situation to a medical condition requiring urgent intervention, saying senior high schools had become hotspots for drug abuse because of peer influence during adolescence. He pledged Assembly support and proposed forming anti-drug clubs in schools to sustain awareness efforts beyond the campaign’s conclusion.
A community mental health walk on October 4 extended outreach beyond school walls, coinciding with Lions Clubs International’s Presidential Week of Service. Starting from Amlalo’s Place near Laasi Park in Odumase Krobo, the five kilometre walk drew Lions, Leos, Rotarians, Rotaractors, Miss Ngmayem Beauty Pageant contestants, and traditional council members. Participants carried banners proclaiming “Stop Codeine, Stop Tramadol, Stop Shisha, Embrace Life” and installed over 20 posters across public areas.
Walkers visited the Konor’s Palace and Odumase Krobo District Police Station, where officers committed to supporting local enforcement against illegal drug sales. Police engagement proves essential given that substances remain readily available at ghettos, drinking bars, and even drug stores throughout Krobo municipalities. Over 500 residents engaged directly during the walk.
Immediate Past District Governor Lion Dr. Helena Asamoah Hassan warned that allowing future leaders onto this perilous path endangers the nation itself. The campaign arrives at what she described as a pivotal moment requiring sustained intervention before patterns become irreversible. If Ghana’s young people fall into addiction cycles now, the country faces a generation unable to fulfill its potential.
Traditional leaders revealed the council was partnering with Lions Club, Rotary, and the FDA to conduct sensitization campaigns in senior high schools, emphasizing that protecting youth requires education as the key to preventing drug abuse. Festival Planning Committee member Kofi Tawiah Opata highlighted how youth indulgence in alcohol and drugs typically spikes during festivities, making early sensitization essential for ensuring celebrations remain cultural showcases rather than platforms for destruction.
Without local radio stations in the area, organizers utilized community information centres in Atua, Korletsom, Mampong, Kpongunor, and Agormanya to broadcast prevention messages between September 29 and October 4. Residents responded positively, with several contacting organizers seeking additional project information. The broadcasts complemented school sessions by reaching parents, guardians, and community members who influence youth behavior.
Manya Krobo Rural Bank served as major sponsor alongside Narh Bita Hospital, Edmond School, RIEPCO Limited, Hon. Bismack Tetteh Nyarko (Member of Parliament for Upper Manya Krobo District), and Professor Jonathan Narh Ayertey (Nuaso, Lower Manya Krobo District). Established in 1978 by the Krobo Women Association as a community bank at Abanse in the Manya Krobo District, the rural bank has maintained strong community investment throughout its operational history.
Managing Director Godfred Asante Hanson reaffirmed the bank’s commitment by noting that empowering young people with knowledge represents investment in community safety and sustainability. Financial institutions increasingly recognize their stake in youth development, understanding that educated, healthy young people become productive citizens who strengthen local economies.
Nehemiah Attigah, president of Accra Golden Lions Club, emphasized that many students simply don’t understand what they’re consuming. Education serves as the most powerful antidote to ignorance, he explained, particularly when peer networks spread misinformation about substance safety. Young people need accurate information about long term health consequences, addiction risks, and legal implications before they can make informed decisions.
The campaign reached approximately 28,000 individuals total, marking one of the most extensive joint community outreach efforts by Lions, Rotary, and local institutions in recent years. According to Dr. Tettey Amlalo, organizers plan to institutionalize anti-drug and mental health clubs in every visited school and extend the campaign to additional communities next year. This represents not a single project but a long term commitment to safeguarding Ghana’s future.
Lions Clubs International’s 1.4 million members across 49,000 clubs worldwide tackle challenges ranging from vision care to hunger relief, diabetes awareness, and childhood cancer support. Youth development remains central to the organization’s mission, recognizing that today’s young people become tomorrow’s community leaders and change makers.
The initiative demonstrates how coordinated action between civic organizations, traditional authorities, government agencies, and private sector partners can address complex social challenges that no single entity could solve alone. By combining resources, expertise, and community credibility, the coalition created comprehensive intervention reaching students, parents, and broader community simultaneously.
Additional support came from Achievers Network, Leo District 418, and the Manya Krobo Traditional Council, reflecting broad based recognition that drug abuse threatens community wellbeing and requires unified response. When traditional leaders, civic organizations, law enforcement, health authorities, and educational institutions coordinate efforts, prevention messages gain credibility and reach that isolated initiatives cannot achieve.
A national campaign dubbed “Ghana Against Drugs, Red Means Stop” was launched by the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment to combat the growing substance abuse crisis, with officials stating that 62.3 percent of adolescents in nine senior high schools in the Northern Region have used illicit substances at least once in their lifetime. The Krobo campaign aligns with national efforts recognizing that drug abuse has reached crisis proportions requiring immediate, sustained intervention.
