The Vision for Alternative Development (VALD), a civil society organisation, has called for stronger international and regional collaboration, shared data systems and unified advocacy tools to ensure consistency in global drug control policy.

It said the collaborative approach would help in global messaging and provide practical investment support to low-and-middle countries in their fight against drug use, particularly among the youth.

Mr Issah Ali, the Executive Director of VALD and the Head of the Secretariat of the West African Alcohol Policy Alliance (WAAPA), made the call in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency after attending the 6th Istanbul Initiative Summit held in Turkey.

The summit was on the theme, “Global Dialogue on the Future of Drug Policy” and was hosted by the Turkish Green Crescent Society.

The statement said the event explored critical policy issues, including the rise of drug use among the youth, the spread of synthetic drugs, cannabis legalization and the growing funding challenges faced by civil society organizations working in prevention and advocacy.

It was participated by representatives of civil society organizations, and international experts in policy who discussed global trends on drug prevention, recovery and resilience.

Mr Ali who spoke on the topic, “The Future of Global Drug Policy: Demand Reduction and Resilience” noted that drug policy was moving from punitive measures to health-based and human rights.

He called for increased investment in prevention, treatment and social reintegration while using data and behavioural science to inform decisions.

The Executive Director emphasized that prevention, treatment and recovery must work together to build community resilience and asked for greater youth involvement in advocacy, policy design while promoting school and community-based interventions that empower young people.