No Rehab Centre in Western Region Crippling Ghana's War on Drug Addiction — NACOC

Ghana's Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has raised serious concerns about the lack of a rehabilitation facility in the Western Region, stating that the gap is significantly weakening the country's ability to fight drug addiction in the area.

According to NACOC, the situation is particularly troubling because a growing number of drug users in the region have expressed genuine willingness to seek help — yet there is no dedicated centre nearby to receive them. Without accessible treatment options, many of those individuals are left without support, potentially deepening the addiction crisis.

The Western Region, home to major towns including Takoradi and Sekondi, has long been identified as one of Ghana's high-risk zones for substance abuse, partly due to its busy port activity and expanding urban population. The absence of a rehabilitation centre means affected residents must travel long distances to access care, a barrier that discourages many from following through on treatment.

NACOC's warning highlights a broader infrastructural challenge facing Ghana's public health response to narcotics. Rehabilitation and treatment services remain concentrated in a handful of regions, leaving vast parts of the country underserved despite the national scale of the drug problem.

The Commission is urging the government and relevant stakeholders to prioritise the establishment of a rehabilitation centre in the Western Region as a matter of urgency, arguing that tackling addiction requires not only enforcement but also adequate care and recovery infrastructure.