The Long Way to Evidence-Based Prevention: the Experience of the ASAP-Training Project as a Milestone in the European Dissemination of the EUPC (European Prevention Curriculum).

Abstract

Prevention science has made significant strides in establishing evidence-based interventions and quality standards for drug prevention. However, widespread dissemination and implementation remains limited. This article explores how in the European context reference points such as the European Drug Prevention Quality Standards (EDPQS), the Universal Prevention Curriculum (UPC) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) International Standards on drug use prevention created the roots to promote evidence-based prevention. This article briefly reports the outputs of the ASAP-Training project and how it can be considered as a milestone in the European dissemination of the EUPC, thanks to the idea of linking the training of the prevention professional workforce to the analysis of countries' prevention systems. Key outputs include the development of national prevention profiles, training curricula, and an online platform to support sustainability together with a new-born network of European trainers that now counts more than a hundred members. The paper ends with the presentation of the Italian institutional process that brought the EUPC into the framework of the national prevention plan, assuring its sustainability and wider dissemination in all Italian regions. The collaboration with the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) ensures ongoing access and dissemination of training resources, ultimately aiming to enhance the quality and impact of drug prevention efforts in Europe.