International Congress on Addictions

The International Congress on Addictions was held online by Green Crescent on November 2–3, 2021. Participating in the congress were 40 researchers from 14 countries, including notable names from such institutions as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the World Health Organization (WHO), Harvard University, Stanford University, and the University of California, Berkeley.     

Prof. Mücahit Öztürk delivered the opening speech at the congress, which was held to discuss global developments in the prevention of addictions and the new approaches that have emerged during and post-pandemic eras. The congress, followed by over 4,000 participants, focused on 4 main themes:

• Current implementations and research practices in the prevention of addictions, as well as intervention and advocacy activities
• New risks and threats related to addictions
• New perspectives and experiences in the prevention of addictions, and lessons learned
• Innovative policy, action plan and intervention program proposals related to the prevention of addictions.

Attended by experts from such countries as the United States, Germany, Austria, the United Arab Emirates, France, the United Kingdom, Scotland, Switzerland, Canada, Malta, Russia and New Zealand, global developments in the prevention of alcohol, tobacco, drug, gambling and technology addictions during the pandemic were addressed.
The International Congress on Addictions was held with:

• 14 countries
• 40 speakers
• 2 days
• 12 main sessions
• over 4,000 participants.

The keynote speakers at the congress were President of the Turkish Green Crescent Society Prof. Mücahit Öztürk; Head of Secretariat of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) Adriana Maria Blanco Marquizo; Director of the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-risk Behaviours Prof. Jeffrey Derevensky; Founder and Director of the Recovery Research Institute (RRI) at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Prof. John Kelly, and Board Member of the Turkish Green Crescent Society Dr. Esra Albayrak.