By Albert Allotey
Accra, May 31, GNA – Vision for Alternative Development (VALD), a civil society organisation, has called on the Government to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital tools into tobacco control and enforcement systems in Ghana.
The organisation said the move had become necessary because tobacco industry tactics had become highly digital, fast-evolving, and difficult to track using traditional methods.
The call was contained in a statement signed by Mr Issah Ali, Executive Director of VALD, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, as the world marked World No Tobacco Day.
The statement noted that tobacco and nicotine products were increasingly being redesigned with appealing flavours, attractive packaging, and targeted digital marketing strategies.
It said new products such as vapes and nicotine pouches were entering the market at a rapid pace, creating new forms of addiction often presented as less harmful.
“Even though traditional tobacco advertising is less visible today, marketing has not stopped. It has simply shifted into packaging, retail environments, and digital spaces that are harder to monitor and regulate,” it said.
The statement identified key trends undermining tobacco control efforts, including the promotion of flavoured nicotine products as harmless and youth-friendly, and the growth of online and social media marketing that is not effectively regulated.
Other concerns highlighted were the use of harm reduction narratives in ways that may normalise nicotine use, and weak systems to track youth exposure to tobacco-related content online.
VALD emphasised that AI could support public health efforts by tracking online tobacco advertising and promotions in real time, enhancing enforcement of existing laws, and strengthening surveillance and reporting systems.
“Without stronger digital tools, enforcement will continue to lag behind amid evolving industry strategies,” the statement said.
It, therefore, called on the Government, the Ministry of Health, the Food and Drugs Authority, academia, and civil society organisations to adopt AI and digital tools to strengthen tobacco control systems.
VALD assured stakeholders of its commitment to supporting the Government to enforce existing tobacco control laws, invest in independent research and surveillance systems, and adopt innovative technologies for monitoring.
The organisation also urged policymakers, the media, parents, youth advocates, and civil society actors to collaborate in protecting the younger generation from nicotine addiction.
“Ghana needs stronger systems, stronger enforcement, and smarter tools to protect public health,” it added.
World No Tobacco Day is observed annually on May 31 to highlight the dangers of tobacco use and nicotine addiction.
The 2026 commemoration is on the theme: “Unmasking the Appeal: Countering Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction,” drawing attention to how tobacco and nicotine products are deliberately designed and marketed to attract and sustain use, particularly among young people.
GNA
Edited by Lydia Kukua Asamoah