ISSUP Indonesia National Chapter organised the Investing in Evidence-Based Prevention (IEP) Workshop on 31 July 2026 as part of the Asia Pacific Society for Alcohol and Addiction Research (APSAAR) Congress 2026 in Jakarta, Indonesia. This marked the first time the IEP workshop had been delivered in person by Mr Gidien Ryaan and Mr Ashwin Thind.
The workshop brought together 21 participants, including representatives from key government, academic and healthcare institutions. These included representatives from Indonesia’s National Narcotics Board, the Ministries of Health, Social Affairs, Primary and Secondary Education, and Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, as well as the DKI Jakarta Provincial Health Office. Universities, general and psychiatric hospitals, medical faculties and specialist research centres were also represented, bringing a broad range of perspectives from prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, public health, education and community empowerment.
The workshop encouraged participants to reconsider prevention as more than a collection of well-intentioned activities. It highlighted the need for decision-makers and policy-makers to understand what makes prevention evidence-based, how to identify approaches that are effective, and why investing in proven interventions matters. Participants also examined how effective prevention can reduce future health and social harms, ease pressure on public services, and generate wider economic benefits by avoiding the substantial costs associated with substance use.
The workshop reflects ISSUP’s continued commitment to strengthening the global substance use workforce and supporting the implementation of effective, evidence-informed prevention approaches worldwide.