Youth initiative in Peterborough aims to stop substance use before it starts
- May 6
- 2 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
PYSUP aims to improve social environments where children live, learn, and play.
May 5th, 2025
Peterborough Examiner | Mike Davies
Stopping substance use before it starts is the aim of the new Peterborough Youth Substance Use Prevention (PYSUP) initiative.
A collaboration of local agencies, PYSUP aims to improve social environments where children live, learn, and play, to prevent or reduce substance use harm by offering alternative choices.
The initiative uses the Icelandic Prevention Model (IPM), a process first used in Iceland, wherein a community works together to improve social environments via supports and opportunities for youth, to prevent the initiation of substance use.
Article Highlights:
During the 25-year span (of the IPM in Iceland), the number of students who reported being drunk within the past 30 days decreased from 42 to six per cent. Those who reported smoking daily declined from 23 to 1 per cent. Those using cannabis dropped from 17 to six per cent.
“To truly prevent youth from starting to use substances, our community needs to build a social environment where healthier choices are the easier, more accessible choices.” - Lora Keitel, Peterborough Drug Strategy Coordinator and Co-Coordinator of Planet Youth Nogojiwanong, brought to you by PYSUP.
Last year, Peterborough was one of seven Canadian communities to be awarded a $125,000 Public Health Agency of Canada grant to support working with Planet Youth to adapt the IPM. PYSUP has also been supported with donations from the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough ($10,000) and the Canadian Mental Health Association Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge ($25,000). CMHA HKPR has also pledged to donate funds from its Change the Cycle fundraiser on June 21 at Nicholls Oval.
“We have so much good work already being done in our community. It’s bringing everyone together to be working smarter, not harder, and building off what already exists.” - Martha Faulkner, HKNP Public Health Nurse & Co-coordinator of Planet Youth Nogojiwanong, brought to you by PYSUP.
The first step in adapting a local model is a survey to be done next school year among area Grade 10 students seeking input on the types of activities and initiatives they would be interested in participating in. It will take six to eight weeks to analyze the results before working with the community co-ordinating table and three advisory groups, made up of youth, parents and community members, to begin planning the initiatives.
“I strongly believe we owe it to young people to do all we can to address these challenges, to wrap our arms as a community around them to ensure they have the best start possible. But we also owe it to young people to listen to and empower their voices.” - Dr. Thomas Piggott, Medical Officer of Health
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