Lakelands Public Health is one of nine organizations across Canada receiving funding from the federal government to help prevent substance use by youth in the Kawarthas.
Last Tuesday (November 25), the Public Health Agency of Canada announced it is investing an additional $6 million in community-based projects across Canada through the Youth Substance Use Prevention Program (YSUPP) in response to the illegal toxic drug supply and overdose crisis.
Federal minister of health Marjorie Michel stated the funding is intended to help communities across Canada develop locally driven and needs-based approaches to prevent substance use among young people.
“The overdose crisis continues to have devastating impacts in communities across the country,” Minister Michel said. “At the same time, the mental health challenges facing young Canadians are more complex. Prevention is essential to support our youth and by working together, we can help ensure that all young people in Canada grow up healthy, supported and free from the harms of substance use.”
Lakelands Public Health and the other eight organizations receiving the funding will continue to advance the implementation of the Icelandic Prevention Model (IPM). Developed by the Icelandic Centre for Social Research and Analysis (ICSRA) in the 1990s and now implemented worldwide through the Iceland-based organization Planet Youth, IMP is an internationally acclaimed community-driven and collaborative approach to prevent substance use harms among youth.
The additional federal funding will support nine community projects, including seven that previously participated and will now expand their prevention efforts and strengthen local initiatives.
That includes Lakelands Public Health, formed in January 2025 by the merger of Peterborough Public Health and the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit, which is receiving an additional $720,570 over 30 months in support of the Peterborough Youth Substance Use Prevention (PYSUP) initiative.
In July 2024, as part of an initial $6 million investment by the federal government through YSUPP, Peterborough Public Health received $125,000 in federal funding over 18 months for the PYSUP initiative, intended to prevent youth substance use and strengthen community resilience. The funding was used to establish a steering committee of youth-serving sectors and to mobilize community members to work upstream to influence risk and protective factors associated with substance use.
With the additional federal funding, the PYSUP initiative will launch Planet Youth school-based surveys to identify local risk and protective factors.
Findings from the surveys will guide the creation of “Community Action Teams” and inform targeted, evidence-based interventions tailored to regional needs. A second survey in 2027 will track progress and refine strategies.
“Peterborough has brought together an exceptional network of community partners dedicated to strengthening the social environment for youth,” Dr. Piggott said.
“Through this initiative, which will benefit our entire Lakelands Public Health region, we aim to help youth feel a deeper sense of belonging and connection to their community and the natural environment around them — empowering them to make healthier choices and reducing the risks associated with substance use.”
To support the continued implementation of the IPM, the Public Health Agency of Canada has funded Renison University College at the University of Waterloo to lead a knowledge development and exchange hub for youth substance use prevention. The hub will lead a national community of practice, support knowledge sharing, promote best practices among funded projects, and evaluate the Canadian experience and adaptation of the IPM.
According to a media release from Public Health Agency of Canada, YSUPP is already showing “real progress.”
“Protective factors are getting stronger, communities are more involved, and young people have a stronger voice in the decisions that affect them. This work is building resilience, belonging, and hope for youth and families, and it’s a strong step forward for prevention in Canada.”
