On Wednesday, September 23 (2 Mehr), a specialized conference on the scientific and cultural examination of the causes of addiction and strategies for its prevention and treatment was held at the Shaghayegh Hall of the Drug Control Headquarters. The event was organized by the General Directorate of Public Participation of the Drug Control Headquarters and its Prevention Committee, in collaboration with the Iranian Association of Social Mental Health Volunteers and the School of Health Charity Center.
According to the Public Relations Office of the Association, quoting the Public Relations of the Iranian Association of Social Mental Health Volunteers, at the beginning of the conference, Seyed Noorali Mir Ebrahimi, Managing Director of the Association and Head of the Prevention Committee of the General Directorate of Public Participation, emphasized the importance of preventing social harms, particularly addiction, and highlighted the unique and constructive role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in controlling and reducing such harms.
Mir Ebrahimi also stressed the need for interaction, experience sharing, and synergy among active NGOs in the field of addiction prevention and invited organizations to contribute their successful experiences and practical training programs in the continuation of the upcoming sessions.
Later in the conference, Dr. Kharmangir delivered a lecture on the causes of addiction and strategies for its prevention, focusing on a healthy lifestyle and the integration of modern and traditional Iranian medicine. However, the talk did not address alcohol and tobacco consumption, which are key elements of a healthy lifestyle.
Zahra Sadr, Director of the Women’s Affairs Department of the Iranian Anti-Tobacco Association and a member of the Non-Governmental Women’s Communication Council, referred to tobacco use as the gateway to addiction, emphasizing that tobacco consumption must be explicitly addressed within the framework of both modern and traditional Iranian medicine. It was agreed that this topic would be further discussed in future sessions.
It is noteworthy that the main theme of the conference was the study of the causes of addiction and strategies for its prevention and treatment, focusing on healthy lifestyle promotion and the integration of modern and traditional Iranian medicine, which received positive feedback from participants and is set to continue in the coming weeks.
