The 3rd edition of FOCUS – Future-Oriented Careers in Understanding Substance Use is here, focusing on the Wellbeing of the Substance Use Workforce.

In this edition, FOCUS is here to:

• Explore the importance of wellbeing and self-care for those working in the field
• Share practical resources to manage stress, prevent burnout, and build resilience
• Support early-career professionals in developing healthy and sustainable professional practices

Each edition brings together research-backed resources, learning opportunities, and global perspectives to help you connect, learn, and grow.

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The 2026 UNODC World Drug Report highlights an increasingly complex global drug landscape, characterised by expanding synthetic drug markets, poly-drug use, and evolving public health and public safety challenges. In this ISSUP webinar, Giovanna Campello (UNODC) explored the report’s key findings and discussed what they mean for professionals working across prevention, treatment, recovery, policy, law enforcement, and criminal justice. This post summarises the key discussion points and practical implications for the global workforce. It also highlights the new interactive World Drug Report data platform as a valuable resource for evidence-informed policy and practice, with links to both the webinar recording and the full report.

The second edition of F.O.C.U.S. – Future-Oriented Careers in Understanding Substance Use, is now live!

This special edition newsletter is created for early-career professionals and students stepping into the field of substance use. 

In this edition, we’re spotlighting something you’ll feel quickly as you step into this work: the substance use field is truly multi-sectoral. It’s shaped by parents and teachers, schools and healthcare teams, recovery communities and people with lived experience, researchers and community organisations, law enforcement and policymakers, courts and governments...

ISSUP and the OAS/CICAD, continues to strengthen its joint efforts to establish and coordinate a Latin American Youth Leaders Network. This initiative brings together youth representatives from 10 countries across the region, each representing their respective ISSUP National Chapters.

The network aims to ensure that the voices of young people are actively heard and meaningfully integrated into global responses to substance use and drug related challenges. A key focus is addressing the vulnerability of youth to drug use and drug-related crime, while fostering a proactive and empowered...

ISSUP Mexico continues to advance its strategic agenda with a strong focus on empowering youth leaders in high-risk communities. This commitment was recently reinforced through the successful completion of the “Engaging Youth” training course, delivered in collaboration with OAS/CICAD.

A cohort of 30 young leaders from Mexico has now successfully completed the programme, marking a significant milestone in strengthening youth-led efforts. Through this initiative, participants have been equipped with the knowledge and tools to act as agents of change, working to reduce violence, substance use...

El proyecto Generación Sin Fronteras fue seleccionado como uno de los tres proyectos ganadores en el Foro de Jóvenes celebrado en Grecia en junio de 2024, destacando por su enfoque innovador y su compromiso con el bienestar de adolescentes en contextos vulnerables.

La iniciativa fue desarrollada por Daniela Junco Rocha, líder juvenil de ISSUP Colombia, con el acompañamiento del equipo de la Corporación Nuevos Rumbos, organización anfitriona de ISSUP en el país, y con el apoyo de la Fundación Princesas Guerreras en Cúcuta, primera ciudad receptora de población migrante venezolana en Colombia...

Minggu ini, kami mengucapkan selamat tinggal kepada teman dan mentor kami yang baik, Jeff Lee, Direktur Eksekutif pendiri ISSUP. Jeff adalah pendukung teguh untuk profesionalisasi pencegahan, bersikeras bahwa mereka yang bekerja di bidang ini harus dikhususkan dengan tepat. Dia sering mengingatkan kita bahwa meskipun generalis dan spesialis perawatan bermaksud baik dan tertanam dalam komunitas mereka, mereka tidak selalu berada di posisi terbaik untuk mengembangkan dan menerapkan sistem pencegahan berbasis bukti. Jeff menekankan bahwa pencegahan harus diperlakukan sebagai ilmu yang berbeda...

Pada tanggal 15 Oktober, dimulainya Forum Pemimpin Pemuda tentang Pencegahan Penggunaan Zat di Guatemala dalam mode virtual. Kegiatan yang ditujukan untuk kaum muda berusia antara 18 dan 26 tahun ini berupaya agar peserta memanfaatkan strategi untuk mengembangkan proyek pencegahan konsumsi zat, yang didasarkan pada bukti dan berdampak pada lingkungan terdekat mereka. Dengan mereka, kaum muda mengambil peran utama dalam pencegahan penggunaan zat, untuk menjadi agen kunci untuk pengembangan inisiatif, memperoleh pengetahuan dan keterampilan yang dapat ditransfer ke situasi konteks lain...

Kami sangat senang mengumumkan bahwa pendaftaran untuk sesi pelatihan tatap muka di Acara Global Thessaloniki 2024 sekarang sudah tayang!