Mr Issah Ali, Executive Director for the Vision for Alternative Development (VALD) and the Head of Secretariat of West African Alcohol Policy Alliance (WAAPA), participated in the 6th Istanbul Initiative Summit held in Istanbul, Turkey from the 23rd to 24th October 2025. The Summit hosted by the Turkish Green Crescent Society brought together civil society organizations, international experts and policy experts to discuss global trends on drug prevention, recovery and resilience.
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.
Mr. Issah Ali moderated and presented on “The Future of Global Drug Policy: Demand Reduction and Resilience”, his presentation focused on three key areas shaping the next phase of global drug control and prevention.
1.Policy Trends and the Next Decade of Demand Reduction: he noted that drug policy is moving from punitive measures to health based and human rights focused approaches he also called for increased investment in prevention, treatment and social reintegration while using data and behavioral science to inform decisions.
2.Integrating Recovery, Prevention and Youth Engagement: Mr Ali emphasized that prevention, treatment and recovery must work together to build community resilience. He also urged greater youth involvement in advocacy and policy design and promoting school and community based interventions that empower young people.
3.Strengthening Coordination and Shared Advocacy Tools: He called for stronger international and regional collaboration, shared data systems and unified advocacy tools to ensure consistent global messaging and practical support for low and middle income countries.
He called for stronger international and regional collaboration, shared data systems and unified advocacy tools to ensure consistent global messaging and practical support for low and middle income countries
