Health Promotion

The Health Promotion Stream is focused on the effects of trauma and prioritize community approaches to reduce risk factors and strengthen protective factors (Community Resilience Coalition Guelph & Wellington). The goal is to prevent initiation of substance use and reduce substance use-related harms. The priorities of this stream include youth engagement, reducing stigma, and education efforts.

In action

Reducing stigma

Stigma (Health Canada) is negative beliefs and attitudes about persons, or a group of people, based on their circumstances in life. For example, someone may experience stigma because of their race, drug use, employment status, mental health, culture, or gender identity. Stigma can include discrimination, judgement, prejudice, and stereotypes. Unfortunately, stigma is one of the largest, most impactful barriers to accessing supports and treatment that individuals with mental illness and/or people who use drugs face daily.

How can you help end stigma?

• Educate yourself on substance use (Health Canada) and mental health.
• Be aware of your own judgments and behaviour. Engage in self-reflection.
• Use person-first language (Health Canada) when speaking about people who use drugs and people experiencing a mental illness.
• Be compassionate and respectful. Offer support and encouragement to those around you.
• Educate others and pass on the facts.
• Challenge myths and stereotypes.

Youth engagement

Youth engagement and inclusion was a priority identified during the Greater Sudbury Summit on Toxic Drugs as a strategy to address the toxic drug crisis and prevent the initiation of substance use. The Health Promotion Stream will build upon strong partnerships amongst community agencies to engage and include youth, and identify local needs and opportunities. One piece of this priority involves the work currently happening through a standalone community group to move forward in introducing the Icelandic Prevention Model in the community.

The Icelandic Prevention Model is an upstream, community-based intervention program aimed at reducing substance use in youth by strengthening protective factors, mitigating risk factors and building healthy community environments for children and youth in four key spheres: the family environment, the peer group, the school community and leisure and recreation time.  The premise of the model is that by creating healthy and supporting environments for youth, in which they have the motivation and opportunity to engage in healthy and positive activities, they will be less likely to engage in substance use to begin with. Youth engagement at all stages of the process is imperative to the success of the model, ensuring that the programming and interventions are relevant to youth, meet them where they’re at, and address their needs, interests, and motivations in authentic and equitable ways.

Education

Health promotion includes education initiatives to help keep community members, families, and professionals updated about evidence-based information and resources around substances and substance use health. Examples include presentations at post-secondary schools and workplaces, naloxone training, speaking at events and meetings, anti-stigma education and campaigns, publishing information that is accessible to the public from trusted sources on substance use health.

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This item was last modified on September 9, 2024