Global Alcohol Policy Symposium 26-27 April

The “Global Alcohol Policy Symposium” was organized by Green Crescent in collaboration with the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization, at the Haliç Congress Center in Istanbul on April 26–27, 2013. The symposium, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was attended by Director-General of the World Health Organization Dr. Margaret Chan and more than 1,200 participants from 53 countries.

The Global Alcohol Policy Symposium was organized to raise awareness of the dangers of alcohol consumption for individuals and society, and was focused on the sharing of experiences and information on alcohol addiction between countries. During the symposium, leading local and foreign experts in the field of alcohol addiction made presentations on alcohol consumption habits, the devastating effects of alcohol addiction on individuals and society, pricing and taxation, driving under the influence of alcohol, the marketing and sponsorship of alcohol products, and effective alcohol control policies for the prevention of alcohol addiction.

At the culmination of the symposium, closing statements were delivered by Turkish Green Crescent Society President Prof. M. İhsan Karaman and Director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse at WHO Dr. Shektar Saxena. In the closing statement, it was stated that the message of the symposium would be disseminated around the world as a model for policy makers. Focusing on Turkiye in particular, and the world more generally, the aim of the symposium was to facilitate the presentation and sharing of recommendations among important global leaders in the field of alcohol policy.
 
The Global Alcohol Policy Symposium was held with the following themes:

• Alcohol use in Europe and Turkiye
• Alcohol control policies
• Harm caused by alcohol
• Recent alcohol policy changes in the World Health Organization Member States
• Alcohol market regulation policies

The Global Alcohol Policy Symposium was held with the involvement of:

• 53 countries
• 21 speakers
• 2 days
• 5 main sessions
• 1,200 participants.