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...

Por Equipo del Capítulo Nacional ISSUP El Salvador

En el marco de la Semana del Capítulo Nacional ISSUP El Salvador, se llevó a cabo una intervención estratégica diseñada para fortalecer los factores de protección en la población joven. Bajo el lema “Prevención basada en evidencia, comunidad en acción”, esta iniciativa se centró en dotar a estudiantes universitarios de herramientas reales para enfrentar los riesgos asociados al consumo de sustancias.

Una intervención con base científica

La prevención efectiva no es producto del azar. Esta intervención se fundamentó en modelos teóricos...

ISSUP El Salvador launches “The ISSUP Week” to mark the second anniversary of its National Chapter

ISSUP El Salvador has officially launched “The ISSUP Week”, an event organised to commemorate the second anniversary of its National Chapter, bringing together key stakeholders from academia, government, and community sectors committed to addressing substance use.

The opening ceremony featured distinguished authorities, including Patricio Alfaro Rugliancich, Vice Rector of the Universidad Salvadoreña Alberto Masferrer; Dr. Christian Aparicio, National Director of Higher Education; Eduardo...

Ha dado inicio el curso “Involucrando a los Jóvenes en la Prevención”, organizado por la Comisión Interamericana para el Control del Abuso de Drogas (CICAD) de la Organización de los Estados Americanos (OEA), en colaboración con ISSUP México, y con sede en los Centros de Integración Juvenil (CIJ). Esta iniciativa forma parte de un esfuerzo de colaboración internacional que promueve el intercambio de experiencias, conocimientos y mejores prácticas en jóvenes líderes.

Un eje central de la agenda es el involucramiento activo de los jóvenes en prevenir el reclutamiento de jóvenes por parte del...

ISSUP Guatemala, in collaboration with Glasswing International, has officially launched the “Prevention Agents”programme, an initiative designed to train and strengthen young community leaders who are committed to promoting the prevention of social risks.

The programme aims to equip youth with the knowledge, skills, and leadership tools needed to address key social challenges affecting their communities, including organized crime, substance use, delinquency, and life on the streets. Throughout 2026, participants will engage in educational, cultural, recreational, and leadership activities...

On 18 February 2026, the ISSUP Lagos State Branch carried out a school-based substance use prevention outreach at Onike Junior High School, Sabo-Yaba, as part of its ongoing commitment to youth-focused prevention and early intervention.

The interactive session was designed to educate students about the risks associated with drug abuse , strengthen informed decision-making, and reinforce the importance of staying focused on their academic and personal goals. Through open and engaging discussions, students were encouraged to ask questions and share their experiences, particularly around peer...

Jimena Kalawski, Chief of the Demand Reduction Unit of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) of the Organization of American States (OAS), and Barbara Correa, Regional Coordinator of the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP), offered welcoming remarks at the closing of a training for young leaders based on the Universal Prevention Curriculum (UPC).

Twenty-seven youth from nine Latin American Member States participated in this online training, developed within the framework of the priority that the CICAD Executive Secretariat gives to youth prevention...