Get High On the GoodLife
Year of Implementation: 2025
Background
Ghana faces a growing substance abuse crisis, with official data revealing 50,000 drug users nationwide – 70% of whom are students aged 12-35 (Narcotics Control Board, 2025). The Northern Region demonstrates particularly alarming trends, with 62.3% of high school students reporting lifetime substance use (Ghana Ministry of Interior, 2024).
Regional disparities show coastal areas like Greater Accra have higher usage rates (16.6%) compared
to middle ecological zones, with alcohol (56.9%), cigarettes (26.4%), tramadol (6.5%) and marijuana (4.8%) being most prevalent among adolescents. This epidemic threatens educational outcomes, public safety, and youth development across the nation.
Strategy
Savana Signatures launched the “Get High on the GoodLife” initiative as Northern Region’s first comprehensive substance abuse prevention campaign, employing a multi-stakeholder approach:
- The program combines school-based interventions with community mobilization, reaching learners across primary to tertiary institutions through interactive awareness sessions.
- Strategic media partnerships amplify messages via the Kpododo roving cinema van, radio programming and public engagements, while collaborations with 8 government agencies including Ghana Education Service and Narcotics Control Commission ensure policy alignment.
- The campaign uniquely integrates existing SHE+ Helpline services to provide confidential support, creating a prevention-to-treatment continuum.
Traditional and religious leaders participate as community champions to shift social norms, complemented by peer education networks in secondary schools.
Key Highlights
The maiden implementation phase has yielded significant early outcomes, reaching 6,630 students (2,789 boys, 3,841 girls) across six Senior High Schools. The campaign established critical partnerships with Tamale Offline Hangout, a Savana Signatures youth wing, and Total Life Enhancement Center (TOLEC) to expand its grassroots impact. Media engagements will frame substance abuse as a regional development priority, with 87% of participating schools reporting improved student knowledge of support systems and legal consequences. With a ultimate target of 100,000 beneficiaries, the initiative has laid crucial groundwork for combating youth substance abuse through its unique combination of education, and community-based solutions and support systems that address both supply and demand factors. Early results demonstrate the potential for scaling this model to other high-prevalence regions.
Success Story
This Project is already making huge impact in Northern Ghana among in-school and out of school young people. Click to watch the video