The Minister of the Interior, Hon. Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka has directed the Management of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) to as a matter of urgency operationalise the Substance Use Disorder Rehabilitation Fund as provided for in Section 22 of the Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020.

The fund, according to him, will facilitate and augment among others research in the area of addiction disease and treatment of persons with substance use disorders, as well as setting up of rehabilitation centres for the treatment of persons with substance use disorders, as drug use is a public health issue.

The Minister made these comments at the graduation ceremony of the Basic Narcotics Cadets Course 8 at the Leadership Training School, Eastern Naval Command, Tema, on Wednesday 18 June, 2025 .

“I commit to donating to the fund a seed money and urge all and sundry, particularly corporate bodies to support the fund as part of your corporate social responsibility in addressing the threats of substance abuse that is becoming a canker among our youth”, the minister said.

The 186 cadets were made up of 73 females and 114 males.

The aim of the course was to train officer cadets to perform the functions of an Assistant Narcotic Control Officer by providing them with knowledge, developing their intelligence, leadership, investigative and analytical skills.

The course was also to build their confidence and teamwork abilities while providing the right foundation for their subsequent career development as enforcers of the Narcotics Law in Ghana.

The ceremony was graced by dignitaries from sister security agencies such as the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana National Fire Service, Ghana Armed Forces and EOCO