ISSUP met with Dr. Saúl Recalde, Paraguay’s Vice Minister of Comprehensive Health Care and Social Welfare, to discuss opportunities to strengthen substance use prevention, treatment and care within the health system.

Discussions highlighted the importance of developing programmes that respond to the needs of the Health Ministry staff, including workplace substance use prevention, and promoting coordinated approaches across health services.

A central focus was establishing a system of care for children and adolescents who use substances. Participants discussed the importance of early...

ISSUP Paraguay y la Escuela de Gobierno y Políticas Públicas Norberto Bobbio, se encuentra realizando el Curso de "Intervención Policial y articulación con la Red de Salud para el Abordaje de Personas en Situación de Crisis de Salud Mental y/o Consumo de Sustancias Psicoactivas".  diseñado para trescientos funcionarios de la Policía Nacional del Paraguay, con una carga horaria de cien horas de duración.

Esta propuesta formativa de modalidad híbrida, busca optimizar la intervención policial ante episodios críticos relacionados con la salud mental y el consumo de sustancias psicoactivas. El...

PLAPA and the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM) are pleased to invite you to the launch of the Latin American Pastoral Manual for Accompaniment and Prevention of Addictions. This resource aims to strengthen prevention efforts, accompaniment, and hope for individuals, families, and communities affected by addictions throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. It is part of the Church’s regional commitment to providing comprehensive, community-based, and person-centered responses to addictions.

🗓 Date: June 25, 2026
🕘 Time: 9:45 a.m. (Buenos Aires)
💻 Format: Live on Zoom

🔗...

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...

A new chapter in training has begun at ISSUP. A new Training Team has been formed with the goal of improving the accessibility and relevance of ISSUP’s training, while ensuring it reflects the learning needs of members worldwide.

In the early months of its work, the team carried out a training needs assessment to better understand members’ online learning needs. At the same time, the team engaged with several Learning Management System (LMS) providers to explore options for a new platform that supports accessible, high-quality learning. The proposals received are now being reviewed.

This...

ISSUP was honoured to participate in the 78th Regular Session of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD), where Joanna Travis Roberts, Chief Executive of the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP), delivered remarks to representatives of Member States, civil society organisations, experts, and partners from across the Americas.

Speaking to the importance of collective and evidence-informed responses to substance use, Joanna highlighted that challenges related to drugs intersect with public health, social development, community safety, and human rights...

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...

We’re excited to share that ISSUP has successfully launched the pilot of the Investing in Evidence-Based Prevention (IEP) Workshop, attended by 18 participants from 17 countries. The workshop was delivered in two online sessions, held on 14 and 21 August, bringing together policy-makers, decision-makers and funders. 

The IEP workshop was developed by Jeff Lee, and Rachele Donini, together with the Scientific Support Team (SST). The pilot was delivered by Rachele Donini as trainer. 

The first session, Introduction to Prevention Science, focused on the fundamentals of prevention...

The 22nd International Congress of Youth Integration Centers (CIJ), convened under the theme “Environment and Mental Health”, brought together authorities, specialists, and international representatives to examine the interrelationship between environmental conditions and psychological well-being.

The Congress was honored by the presence of the Governor of Guerrero, Evelyn Salgado Pineda, and the Mayor of Acapulco, Abelina López Rodríguez. Both emphasized the imperative of positioning mental health as a priority within public policy, particularly in communities of young people and in contexts...

As part of the Prevention pillar of the SUMAR Plan, more than 850 teachers have completed training in the Prevention of Psychoactive Substance Use. They will now serve as active ambassadors in this initiative by the Government of Paraguay, which promotes a culture of awareness and rejection of drugs.

We have launched an Educational Model in schools in Asunción and Central, which includes a guidance manual for the prevention and approach to the scourge that affects vulnerable groups.

Together, we are taking major steps toward a Paraguay of opportunities for all.

Teachers, technicians, and...