Minister of Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo, has raised serious concerns about the increasing rates of drug use and teenage pregnancies among Ghanaian youth, warning that these twin crises jeopardize the country’s future workforce and national development.
Speaking at a national youth dialogue in Accra on November 5, 2025, the minister described substance abuse among students as a “national emergency,” highlighting alarming statistics that show 41 percent of tertiary students and 37 percent of senior high school students have tried drugs.
The minister noted that students are experimenting with alcohol, marijuana, synthetic pills such as ‘red 2-2-5,’ and even hard drugs like cocaine and heroin. He added that these substances are now easily accessible through peers, street vendors, pubs, and discreet on-campus channels, as well as online ordering and courier deliveries.
Opare Addo identified peer pressure, curiosity, stress, and academic pressure as key factors driving youth drug use. He disclosed that 26 percent of first-time users are aged 14–15, while 41 percent are between 16–17 years old. Early exposure, he explained, can impair memory, learning, and emotional control, leading to truancy, behavioral issues, and long-term addiction.
The minister also stressed that substance abuse affects not only individuals but entire families, calling for stronger counseling services and psychosocial support in schools and communities. Currently, only 36 percent of educational institutions offer such services. Opare Addo announced plans for collaboration between his ministry, the Ministries of Health and Education, and civil society groups to develop a national strategy tackling drug use and promoting mental health among young people.
Alongside drug abuse, the minister flagged the high incidence of teenage pregnancies as a “social and economic crisis” undermining national development. Data from the Ministry indicates over 100,000 teenage pregnancies occur in Ghana each year, with 19 percent among girls aged 15–19. He noted that rural and underserved communities are hardest hit, where access to education and reproductive health services is limited.
Opare Addo warned that early childbearing contributes to school dropouts, health risks, and entrenched cycles of poverty, urging urgent action to safeguard the well-being and future potential of Ghana’s youth.
