Minister of Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo, says his outfit has launched a campaign targeted at curbing youth substance abuse.
The programme named “Red Means Stop” is part of initiatives instituted by the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment to protect the future of the youth.
Mr. Opare-Addo made this announcement as he took his turn at the Government Accountability Series at the Jubilee House in Accra on Monday August 5, 2025.
He described the increasing drug use among young people as a major public health concern, stating that the ministry is taking steps to address it.
“The Ministry recognizes this as a significant public health challenge and is taking decisive actions to address substance abuse through targeted prevention, education, and rehabilitation initiatives aimed at safeguarding the health and future of our youth,” the Minister stated the rationale for the programme.
According to the minister, it initiative “promotes awareness, prevention, and behavioural change using cultural sensitivity and evidence-based messaging”.
He added that the “Red Means Stop” will support the national anti-substance abuse campaign, targeting schools, youth groups, and communities across all 16 regions.
Emphasizing that “youth health is non-negotiable,” the Ministry launched a comprehensive campaign encompassing mental health, reproductive health education, and youth-friendly services, alongside programs to reduce unemployment, develop skills, and combat substance abuse.
He also announced that the National Apprenticeship Programme (NAP), set to begin on August 12 to train about 500,000 youth in technical and vocational skills, has been allocated 300 million Cedis by the Ministry of Finance.
Beneficiaries under the NAP will be provided stipends, and upon completing the programme, they will receive certification with start-up capital and equipment necessary to start their own enterprises.
Addressing concerns raised by the public about delays in National Service registration processes for the 2025/2026 service year, the Minister assured that “plans are currently underway to deploy a new comprehensive system that will meet all the technical specifications and ensure the integrity of the system.”
The National Service Authority’s Central Management System was suspended to allow the Auditor-General to run a forensic audit of the system.
“The national security is currently investigating the matter, while the Attorney-General is also reviewing the dockets for further actions. His Excellency (John Dramani Mahama)’s pledge to the good people of this country is that under his watch, we will have no ghost names at the National Service Authority,” he assured.
Mr. Opare-Addo also announced the ongoing National Youth Festival which began on Friday, August 1, a month-long celebration that is under the theme “Igniting Potential, Inspiring Change”.
The National Youth Festival commenced with clean-up exercises organized across the country and will continue with multi-stakeholder conferences and fun activities.
Present at the briefing were the heads of various agencies under the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment and other stakeholders.
Source: Afote Asomdwoe Laryea/ATLFMNEWS
