The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has raised alarm over a new trend of marijuana being packaged as tea bags and smuggled onto senior high school campuses.
Deputy Director-General of NACOC, Alexander Twum-Barimah, revealed that a Form One student in the Eastern Region was recently caught with one of the disguised tea bags hidden in his school bag.
“I went to Asamankese, and during a conversation with the District Chief Executive, he mentioned that a student was caught carrying a wee tea bag,” he disclosed in an interview with Woezor TV on Sunday, September 28, 2025.
The concern, however, goes beyond senior high schools. Mr. Twum-Barimah noted that marijuana use is now creeping into basic schools, citing the case of a 16-year-old boy arrested with two sticks of the substance. “Sixteen? Two sticks. Why should that happen?” he lamented.
To strengthen community-level responses, NACOC has opened offices in Asamankese, Adansi, and Ashanti Akim. The Commission has also shut down six drug stores and two pharmacies for illegally selling high-dose tramadol.
“Tramadol is not banned, but the law permits only 50mg or 100mg on prescription. Anything above that is prohibited,” he clarified.
Mr. Twum-Barimah assured that under Brigadier General Mantey’s leadership, NACOC remains committed to tackling drug abuse.
“Even if we cannot eradicate it completely, we will bring it to the barest minimum,” he stressed.
