ISSUP Indonesia 2025 Regional Event, Scientific Advisor's Reflections

We recently (15-19 September 2025) had the pleasure of attending the ISSUP Indonesia 2025 Regional Event , a dynamic gathering that convened policymakers, practitioners, academics, and civil society actors from across the globe. In this report, I reflect on the themes and discussions that resonated throughout the conference, with particular attention to the plenary sessions I had the privilege of moderating: Plenaries 3, 5, and 11.

The conference as a whole was marked by excellent participation, lively discussion, and an energetic exchange of ideas. Attendees were able to engage across a broad range of topics, from rehabilitation strategies and recovery support to enforcement approaches and prevention science. A strong theme running through the entire event was the recognition that countries, sectors, and disciplines must solidify strategies to work together to tackle the challenge of substance use. Collaboration, innovation, and a willingness to integrate science and practice were a common element of presentation and discussion.

Plenary 3, which I moderated, focused on the theme of establishing global-regional collaborative efforts in prevention, treatment, and recovery programming. The session reinforced the notion that substance use and related harms do not respect borders, and our responses must likewise ideally be transnational. Presenters highlighted the role of institutions of higher learning in embedding substance use disorder education into curricula, ensuring that the next generation of health and social service professionals is equipped with evidence-based knowledge. We heard about the milestones of collaborative efforts under the International Consortium of Universities for Drug Demand Reduction, and the exciting potential of innovations such as virtual mobility programs and curricula designed specifically for different cadres of the workforce. Joanna Travis-Roberts, in her contribution, reminded us of ISSUP’s role in building workforce capacity globally and of the power of community and family as central themes in our collective work. From a regional perspective, the scale of methamphetamine production and the spread of new psychoactive substances in Asia was highlighted, reinforcing the urgency of strengthening surveillance systems and tailoring interventions to local contexts. The session concluded with a reminder that prevention efforts anchored in schools and families are not only effective in reducing substance use but can also have a transformative effect on interpersonal relationships and community wellbeing.

Plenary 5 focused on substance use prevention in the community. This was an energising discussion that reinforced the idea that communities carry both the burden of substance use and the seeds of the solution. Presentations showcased how community empowerment strategies are being operationalised in Indonesia, with strong policy frameworks positioning communities as active agents of change rather than passive recipients of interventions. From India, Project VENDA illustrated the remarkable impact of youth leadership, showing how young people can be mobilised as prevention champions, reaching millions with messages of resilience and hope. In the Bahamas, the ACT NOW!!! initiative demonstrated how asset mapping can bridge the divide between science and practice, enabling coalitions to design prevention programs grounded in local strengths. Finally, the Philippines brought us an example of innovative prevention strategies for children of persons who use drugs, highlighting the protective value of resilience, spirituality, and life skills. Across these diverse examples, it was made clear that prevention is most powerful when it is rooted in communities, sustained by local ownership, and aligned with cultural and social realities.

Plenary 11 tackled one of the most urgent and fast-changing issues in our field: new psychoactive substances and opioids. The presentations revealed both the scale of the challenge and the creativity of emerging responses. Research from Malaysia highlighted the unexpected prevalence of psilocybin vaping among people with amphetamine-type stimulant use disorder, raising questions about polysubstance use, new modes of drug administration, and their implications for clinical care and reduction of associated harms. We then turned to the United States, where Jenna’s Project demonstrated that tailored re-entry programs for women leaving incarceration, combining medication for opioid use disorder with housing, case management, and overdose prevention, can dramatically reduce overdose deaths and support family reunification. The session also explored digital innovation, with the MyAIM™ app from Malaysia illustrating how smartphone-based tools can expand access to stimulant use interventions among young people, even while grappling with barriers of equity, engagement, and scalability. Finally, Indonesia’s own experience with the legal and forensic challenges of new psychoactive substances was laid out, showing how quickly these substances emerge and how difficult it is for regulatory systems to keep pace. The discussion emphasised that effective responses demand coordination across science, policy, health, and enforcement, ensuring that legal frameworks protect public health without defaulting to disproportionate criminalisation.

Taken together, these three plenaries captured the broader spirit of the conference: collaborative, evidence-informed, and community-driven. They showed that while the drug landscape is constantly evolving, bringing with it new substances, new patterns of use, and new harms, we also have a wealth of innovation and commitment across regions and disciplines. From embedding addiction science in universities, to mobilising communities and youth, to harnessing digital interventions, the field is moving forward with energy and purpose.

The ISSUP Indonesia 2025 Regional Event was a reminder that the challenges we face are shared, and so too must be the solutions. Our task is to ensure that evidence, policy, and practice remain aligned, that our workforce is well prepared, and that communities remain at the centre of our work. In this way, we can meet the challenges of today while laying the foundation for a more resilient and responsive system of care in the future.