Strengthening Prevention Through Quality Standards: The Example of the European Drug Prevention Quality Standards (EDPQS)

ISSUP Global presents a webinar on improving prevention practice through the European Drug Prevention Quality Standards (EDPQS).

Date: Tuesday, 3rd March 2026

Time: 2:00 PM UK | 9:00 AM EST 

Register for the Webinar

The European Drug Prevention Quality Standards (EDPQS) were first published in 2011 by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (now the European Union Drugs Agency). Since then, they have supported multiple initiatives aimed at strengthening evidence-based prevention and improving the quality of substance use prevention activities across Europe and beyond. They are now widely incorporated into professional training, including the European Prevention Curriculum. 

This webinar introduces participants to the EDPQS, including their development, review, and formal adoption, alongside an overview of their structure, content, and intended purpose within evidence-based prevention practice. The session will also explore practical considerations for applying quality standards in real-world settings, including adapting them to diverse local contexts, resources, and systems while maintaining core quality principles. 

Participants interested in developing or implementing standards within their own work will receive practical guidance, examples, and pointers to supporting resources such as the EDPQS Toolkit. 

Intended audience:

• Prevention professionals and practitioners working in substance use prevention 
• Policymakers, programme planners, and public health professionals 
• Researchers and academics in prevention science 
• Trainers and capacity-building organisations 
• Stakeholders interested in developing, adapting, or implementing quality standards in prevention 

No prior familiarity with the EDPQS is required. 

Learning outcomes:

By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:

1. Understand the purpose, structure, and development process of the European Drug Prevention Quality Standards.

2. Recognise how quality standards support evidence-based prevention planning, implementation, and evaluation.

3. Identify key principles for adapting standards to local and regional contexts while preserving essential quality elements.

4. Gain practical insights into developing or applying prevention quality standards within their own professional settings.

Presenter:

Dr Angelina Brotherhood

Dr Angelina Brotherhood is a prevention specialist with over 15 years work experience focusing on quality in substance use prevention. She gained international recognition for her work on the European Drug Prevention Quality Standards (EDPQS) at Liverpool John Moores University, UK, and has since served two terms on the Board of Directors to the European Society for Prevention Research (EUSPR).

Further international assignments included contracts for the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA, previously EMCDDA) and for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), with a focus on quality standards and training provision for practitioners and decision-makers. Since 2021, she has been working for the Addiction Competence Centre of the Austrian National Public Health Institute in Vienna, including as a licensed national trainer for the European Prevention Curriculum (EUPC). 

Moderator:

Rasha Abi Hana

Rasha Abi Hana is the Scientific Support Coordinator at ISSUP Global and a capacity-building and prevention specialist with experience in evidence-based prevention, workforce development, and training across the Middle East and internationally. She is a certified European Prevention Curriculum (EUPC) European Master Trainer recognised by the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) and has supported EUPC implementation and training in Arabic- and French-speaking countries. 

Rasha is currently finalising her PhD at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, where her research focuses on scaling up mental health services, stigma reduction, quality rights in mental health and substance use care, and digital mental health cost-effectiveness. She holds a Diploma in Mental Health Policy and Services from NOVA Medical School (Lisbon Institute of Global Mental Health). 

She also serves as a consultant with The George Washington University, supports prevention initiatives with UN agencies, and is a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Addictology. Previously, she worked with Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health, coordinating community mental health services and substance use treatment programmes.

References:

• European Drug Prevention Quality Standards (EDPQS) Manual: 
  https://www.euda.europa.eu/publications/manuals/prevention-standards_en 

• EDPQS Toolkit 4 – Adaptation and Dissemination: 
  https://www.euda.europa.eu/drugs-library/european-drug-prevention-quality-standards-edpqs-toolkit-4-adaptation-and-dissemination_en 

• FENIQS-EU Toolkit: 
  https://feniqs-eu.net/resources/ 

Webinars and online events delivered and hosted by the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP) are provided for informational purposes only. They are educational in nature and do not constitute medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.