European Prevention Curriculum

This week the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) has released the European Prevention Curriculum - a handbook designed for decision, opinion and policy makers in science-based prevention of substance use. The aim of the EUPC initiative is to implement a standardised prevention training curriculum in Europe and improve the overall effectiveness of prevention.

Adapted from the Universal Prevention Curriculum by the EU-funded UPC-Adapt group, the handbook is based on the International Standards on Drug Use Prevention and the European Drug Prevention Quality Standards (EDPQS), developed by the EMCDDA and the Prevention Standards Partnership.

The publication is split into two sections. 

Part 1 covers general concepts underpinning effective prevention:

• Epidemiology — understanding the nature and extent of substance use
• Foundations of prevention science and evidence-based prevention interventions
• Evidence-based prevention interventions and policies
• Monitoring and evaluation

Part 2 discusses prevention approaches in different settings:

• Family-based prevention
• School-based and workplace-based prevention
• Environmental prevention
• Media-based prevention
• Community-based prevention
• Advocacy for prevention