Support from IDPC , support Don’t Punish ISSUP The Gambia celebrated world drug day 2024 on The theme on harm Reduction and for World Drug Day 2024 The theme is “The evidence is clear: Invest in prevention”. Raise awareness: Develop an understanding of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of prevention strategies mitigating the harms of drug use.
The Executive Director ISSUP The Gambia chapter Alasana Drammeh said today's workshop is geared toward the youths participation and will allow the youths to heavily and actively take part in today's discussions, on the above topics.
Speaking, Executive Director Alasana Drammeh elaborated that drug use should now be treated as a health issue and there is also a critical need to treat drug users with dignity. We cannot talk about sustainable development without the active involvement of more evidence based prevention strategies.
Mr Drammeh mention the plan to start implementation of INEP+ PLUS training and add more prevention practitioners at the workforce and to enhance competencies of prevention practitioners such that they can positively influence the behaviour and attitudes of young people and prevent anti-social and risky behaviour
Alasana Drammeh said we should root out discrimination against drug users, ensuring that no one is excluded from services they may need in health care.
Abdoulie a youth leader speaking on the behalf of youths mention that youths are the most affected people on these drugs use and he said currently the youths amounts to 68% of the Gambia population , drugs using doesn’t only cause psychoactive problems its leads to financial and economic stagnation
He encourages the participants to use this as an opportunity to build community coalitions in their respective communities to be that agent or ambassadors of change makers in reducing drug menace. This will be part of the solution to get the Gambia we want. He emphasises on the loss of life and health the local drug called KUSH , is doing in our societies at the moment which is alarming and scary. He also mentioned that we needed a collective drug prevention effort to remedy the situation,
Mr Abdoulie resembled the global synthetic drug problem to a world health crisis; He went on to say we should not allow humanity to cry. Let's join hands and create more solutions such as creating an after school programs for children, engaging the youths by creating employment.
Another Youth Leader and a School teacher Nuha Badjie, speaking, elaborated that he made research about ISSUP and learned the importance and excellent work ISSUP is doing Nuha mention the needs for more sensitization and advocacy work , in social media, radio newspapers etc ,
Cherno Jallow Jallow a Youth member , said we should make a concerted effort to do away with drug and elaborated that drugs should not be easily accessible, he mention the fact that if drugs are easily accessible for youths it will also be easy to fall prey to it,
Edrisa Jallow taking the podium mention his thoughts as a concern citizen, highlighting that in general context we all know that synthetic drugs are not good to understand that logically there is nowhere in the world were drugs are advertise in positive way, in that regard he emphasis for us to create synergies, build bridges and safe our communities for the Gambia our homeland