UBC NURSING ROUNDS

Rethinking Prevention: A New Approach to Substance Use in Canadian Schools

•    Presenter: Dr. Emily Jenkins & Dr. Tonje Molyneux 
•    Date: Monday, Oct. 19, 2026 @ 12-1pm
•    Venue: Room 5228, 5th floor, UBC Gateway Health Building or online via Zoom

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Substance use among Canadian youth is an urgent and complex challenge with far-reaching implications for educational equity, mental wellness, and community participation. Schools are important social and structural determinants of health and are uniquely positioned to reduce substance-related harms through upstream prevention that promotes engagement, belonging, and resilience. Yet school staff report a lack of evidence-informed guidance and system-level support to inform their efforts. 

The Anchoring Change initiative brings together national partners to address this gap through a new pan-Canadian Standard that translates current research into actionable, voluntary guidance for K–12 systems. Led by Wellstream: The Canadian Centre for Innovation in Child and Youth Mental Health and Substance Use at the MacIsaac School of Nursing at UBC, the Canadian Association of School System Administrators, the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, Physical and Health Education Canada, and the Students Commission of Canada, the initiative aims to reduce burden, strengthen consistency in practice, and support more effective school-based substance use prevention, education, and intervention.

This session will introduce the Standard and the broader Anchoring Change initiative. Attendees will learn how the Standard was developed, including its underpinning evidence base and structure, and explore the next phase of work to support implementation across school communities.

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