Green Crescent Hosts International Congress on Alcohol Addiction

Green Crescent hosted the International Congress on Alcohol Addiction online on November 28–29, 2023. The event convened academics, experts, and institutional representatives specializing in alcohol addiction from across six continents. A total of 22 distinguished researchers from 18 countries participated in the congress.

Representatives of world-renowned institutions participated, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the Global Alcohol Policy Alliance (GAPA), Massey University, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Country Green Crescents, the Intervention on Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies (SICAD), the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP), Dalhousie University, and Hacettepe University.

The opening remarks was delivered by Prof. Mücahit Öztürk, President of the Turkish Green Crescent Society. With more than 2,000 participants joining worldwide, the congress served as a global platform for sharing the latest scientific research on alcohol addiction and advancing new evidence-based approaches.

The congress addressed six main themes:

• Current practices and research methods in addressing alcohol addiction;
• Prevention, intervention, and advocacy efforts, along with emerging risks and challenges;
• Effectiveness of treatment and rehabilitation services, and the health benefits of alcohol-free living;
• lessons learned and best practices;
• Innovative policies, action plans, and intervention strategies;
• The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on alcohol use and consumption patterns.

Experts from the United States, New Zealand, South Africa, Thailand, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, Colombia, and Canada took part in discussions addressing emerging risks of alcohol addiction, shared key insights and lessons learned, and outlined innovative policy proposals.

Highlights of the International Congress on Alcohol Addiction:

• Experts from six continents came together
• 22 speakers from 18 countries participated
• 9 sessions of scientific discussion were held
• Reached more than 2,000 participants worldwide

Keynote speakers included Prof. Mücahit Öztürk, President of the Turkish Green Crescent Society; Prof. Sally Casswell, Chair of the Global Alcohol Policy Alliance (GAPA); Prof. Thomas F. Babor, Former Chair of the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine; and Prof. Jürgen Rehm, senior scientist in the Institute for Mental Health Policy Research at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).