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Exploring New Horizons in Prevention: My Journey with the EUDA Summer School

Layan Amouri

Lunds universitet, Sweden

Some opportunities expand your knowledge. Others quietly reshape how you see your work. For me, Lisbon in the summer of 2025 did both.

I’ve always believed prevention is about more than tackling one specific problem; it’s about creating conditions where people can thrive, where exclusion is prevented before it takes root, and where communities support each other toward healthier futures. My work focuses on adolescent wellbeing and integration, particularly among immigrant youth, exploring belonging, identity, and the social structures that shape these processes. It’s not drug prevention in the traditional sense, yet I’ve often seen the overlaps. Social exclusion, inequality, and lack of opportunity are just as much part of the story in substance use as they are in other areas of prevention.

When the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) Summer School opportunity came up, I wondered, was this really for me? Would my background fit? But prevention is interconnected, and learning from a different field could only enrich my perspective. The scholarship came through the EUSPR Early Career Forum, where I had already been active. The EUDA supported one early-career researcher to attend, and although I was nervous, I challenged myself to apply. Having the chance to get that place felt like both an honour and a responsibility.

The Summer School Experience

The Summer School was held in Lisbon, a city I had long wanted to visit since completing the Frontline Politeia Training through EUDA and learning more about their European Prevention Curriculum work. It brought together researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and students from across Europe and beyond. From day one, it was clear this was more than lectures; it was a space for dialogue, exchange, and challenging assumptions.

We began with Europe’s heroin epidemic of 40–50 years ago, exploring how it shaped public health, criminal justice, and ultimately the creation of the EUDA in 1993 (then the EMCDDA). Its mandate has evolved from publishing data to anticipating trends, issuing alerts, coordinating responses, and learning from events. We examined the global and European opioid situation, both heroin and the growing risk from synthetic opioids like fentanyl and nitazenes. These substances, often far more potent, can enter markets quickly with devastating effects. Case studies from the Baltic states, the UK, and Ireland brought the data to life, showing how market changes can be detected early through signals like shifting purity levels, unusual adulterants, or spikes in overdoses. The message was clear: early detection saves lives, whether through wastewater analysis, hospital data, or community monitoring.

Beyond opioids, we explored cannabis markets, from herbal forms to synthetics, and how production, potency, and regulation differ across Europe. Cocaine’s growing presence was another focus, with insights into trafficking routes, production trends in Latin America, and the role of organised crime. We even looked at the environmental impact of drug production, from the water use of outdoor cannabis cultivation to the carbon footprint of indoor grows, which added another layer to the discussion.

Drugs in Context: Social, Cultural, and Health Perspectives

What struck me most was how the Summer School combined complex data with human context. As one of the many important presentations, Marica Ferri’s session on the “many shades of drug use” showed how social determinants, poverty, trauma and peer norms shape patterns of use. We explored motives from social enhancement to coping and conformity, and how prevention must adapt to these different drivers.

The prevention science sessions resonated a lot with my own work. We examined universal, selective, and indicated approaches, highlighting that effective interventions aren’t always drug-specific. Parenting programmes, school-based resilience initiatives, and youth-led projects all strengthen protective factors and reduce risks. Prevention, framed this way, is an investment in development, reducing violence, improving mental health, and fostering inclusion. Other sessions addressed treatment and harm reduction: opioid agonist therapies, naloxone distribution, innovations in drug checking, and prison-based interventions. A consistent theme was that comprehensive responses require cooperation between public health, education, and social systems, which are lessons that apply well beyond drug prevention.

Our discussions extended beyond Europe. The geopolitics of drug production and trafficking revealed how global events, such as Afghanistan’s opium ban, could shift markets toward synthetic opioids. Cocaine’s production in the Andes and routes through Africa to Europe showed the complexity of supply chains.

The exploration of online drug markets, especially the darknet, was equally eye-opening. Encrypted, decentralised networks make monitoring difficult, and their speed challenges traditional enforcement. It was a stark reminder that innovation is used by both those aiming to prevent harm and those perpetuating it.

Reflections and Looking Forward

Lisbon was more than just a backdrop. Learning about drug policy in a country with a pioneering decriminalisation model felt especially fitting. We engaged with Portuguese policymakers and practitioners to see how shifting drug use from a criminal to a public health issue works in practice, supported by treatment, prevention, and harm reduction systems. Alongside hearing each other’s research and personal experiences, we visited the Serviço de Apoio Integrado (SAI) and the EUDA. Seeing the scale of the work, the dedication of professionals, and the human stories behind policy brought a powerful dimension to the academic discussions. Statistics are one thing, but hearing lived experiences, the resilience, the setbacks and the small victories, makes the reality unforgettable.

Outside the classroom, the city’s mix of history and modern vibrancy offered moments to reflect. I walked back through Alfama with fellow participants from other countries and we compared notes on our prevention systems, marvelling at the similarities despite our different contexts. It was in moments like these, informal, unplanned, and human, that the learning really deepened.

By the end of the two weeks, I felt both intellectually challenged and personally energised. The EUDA Summer School broadened my understanding of prevention in ways I hadn’t anticipated. It showed me that while substances, markets, and specific health risks vary, the underlying principles, data-driven decisions, multi-sector collaboration, and an emphasis on human dignity are universal.

For me, it was also a reminder of the value of stepping outside one’s immediate field. Immersing myself in drug policy and prevention gave me fresh tools and perspectives to bring back to my own work on social inclusion. The connections between inequality, marginalisation, and substance use became even clearer, reinforcing my belief in prevention as a shared mission.

What I take home is not only inspiration but practical ways to enrich my research and teaching. One concrete takeaway was the idea of preparedness, the EUDA’s focus on anticipating, alerting, responding, and learning. I realised this framework is just as relevant for my research with immigrant youth: how can schools, communities, and social systems anticipate risks of exclusion, issue “early warnings” when young people start showing signs of disconnection, and respond before exclusion takes root? Similarly, discussions on social determinants of substance use made me reflect on belonging and community as protective factors in my field, and how these could be strengthened through targeted interventions. Even the technical lessons on monitoring drug trends inspired me to diversify my own methodological toolkit, looking for creative ways to combine survey, qualitative, and community data to capture realities that often remain hidden. Looking into how the research and monitoring of drugs and substance use is practiced showed me a practical, successful evidence of the importance of triangulating data sources to see the bigger picture.

Most of all, I left with a renewed appreciation for communities like EUSPR and its Early Career Forum. Without their encouragement, I might never have applied. For any early-career professional in drug prevention or any other area of public health, I cannot recommend getting involved enough. These networks open doors not just to learning, but to collaboration, mentorship, and experiences that can shift your perspective for years to come.

Lisbon and European Drug Summer School 2025 will always mark this turning point, where I stepped into a new area of prevention and left with a stronger vision of how my work fits into the bigger picture. Thank you to everyone involved for everything I have had the chance to talk about and have not, for your encouragement, support, and incredible coordination. 

About the author

Layan Amouri is a professional social worker and researcher focused on migration, social inclusion, and preventive psychosocial work. She holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from Örebro University, where her own migration experience to Sweden during adolescence shaped her commitment to promoting social justice and well-being for marginalized communities. At Örebro University, Layan works as a research assistant in the PIA Project at the Psychology Department, supporting the design, implementation, and evaluation of group-based interventions that strengthen the well-being and academic engagement of newly arrived youth, focusing on families’ existing strengths and resources. She is also part of the GLOMISCO research group (Globalisation, migration, and social cohesion) at the Social Work Department, conducting research overviews, focus group interviews, and data analysis while also working as a Teaching Assistant. She volunteers with the European Society for Prevention Research (EUSPR) Early Career Forum, helping develop opportunities for early-career researchers. Her work challenges deficit-based narratives about immigrants, amplifying migrant voices and emphasizing their strengths and self-identified needs. In September 2025, Layan will begin her PhD journey at Lund University, further advancing her research on migration, belonging and the promotion of psychosocial well-being.

You can contact Layan at layan.amouri[at]soch.lu.se

#EUSPR #Earlycareers

 


OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
EUSPR Early Careers Forum (September 15, 2025). Exploring New Horizons in Prevention: My Journey with the EUDA Summer School. Preventing disease and ill health. Retrieved May 19, 2026 from https://doi.org/10.58079/14nx4


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