Safety Starts Early: Drug Use Prevention and Violence Prevention as Public Security Investments

ISSUP Global presents a webinar on Safety Starts Early: Drug Use Prevention and Violence Prevention as Public Security Investments.

Date: Wednesday, 4th March 2026

Time: 2:00 PM CET | 1:00 PM UK 

Register for the Webinar

This webinar explores how science-based prevention focused on children and adolescents is a strategic investment in public safety and security. Drawing on the International Standards on Drug Use Prevention, EUPC and evidence on Ending Violence Against Children, the session highlights how strengthening protective factors and reducing risk factors across developmental stages can prevent drug use, reduce exposure to violence, and limit vulnerabilities that criminal groups exploit for recruitment and profit.

The panellists will present to audience how early, evidence-informed interventions implemented in families, schools, and communities contribute to safer societies by reducing future involvement in crime and violence. The webinar will also underscore the importance of aligning prevention policies and programmes with internationally recognised standards to maximise impact, sustainability, and long-term security outcomes.

Intended audience:

• Prevention and drug demand reduction professionals
• Public health and behavioural health practitioners
• Policymakers, government officials, and community safety stakeholders
• Child protection and social development professionals
• Researchers, students, and International Society of Substance Use Professionals members across prevention, treatment, and recovery

Learning outcomes:

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

1. Frame prevention as a dual investment in public health and public safety.

2. Summarise key evidence on economic and social returns. 

3. Recognise intersections between prevention, violence prevention, and child vulnerability. 

4. Identify mechanisms for translating prevention research into policy and practice. 

5. Advocate for cross-sectoral prevention systems within national contexts.

Presenter:

Wadih Maalouf

Chief, Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section,United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Dr Wadih Maalouf is Chief of the Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section at UNODC. He leads global efforts to promote evidence-based prevention, treatment, and recovery systems aligned with international standards. With a background in public health and psychiatry, he supports Member States in strengthening drug demand reduction policies and integrating prevention within broader health, development, and public safety frameworks. His work emphasises prevention as a cornerstone of sustainable and resilient societies.

Alexandra Martins

Violence Against Children Programme, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Alexandra Martins works within UNODC’s Violence Against Children Programme, focusing on child protection, vulnerability pathways, and developmental risk factors linked to substance use and exploitation. Her work explores the intersections between prevention, social protection, and community safety. She contributes to international initiatives aimed at strengthening protective systems for children and adolescents, particularly in contexts affected by crime and recruitment dynamics.

Expertise from EUDA will contribute perspectives on strengthening prevention systems, integrating health responses, and translating evidence into policy across Member States

Moderator:

Goodman Sibeko

ISSUP Scientific Advisor

Associate Professor Ntokozo Goodman Sibeko is Scientific Advisor to ISSUP and an academic in Public Mental Health and Addiction Psychiatry at the University of Cape Town. His work focuses on prevention systems strengthening, workforce professionalisation, and evidence-informed drug policy. He has led multiple international capacity-building initiatives and contributes to global dialogues on integrating prevention, treatment, and public safety strategies.

References:

• UNODC WHO International Standards on Drug Use Prevention International Standards on Drug Use Prevention 

• UNODC Strive Juvenile STRIVE Juvenile 

• UNODC End VAC End Violence Against Children 

• EUPC The European Prevention Curriculum (EUPC) | www.euda.europa.eu 

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.