UT Holds Second Online Course on Training Specialized Cadres for Primary Prevention of Addiction in ECO Member Countries

The program started with remarks by Dr. Amirabbas Lotfi Sarabi, Director General for International Relations Office at Iran’s Drug Control Headquarters. Following Dr. Lotfi Sarabi’s speech, Prof. Saeed Habiba, Vice President for Student Affairs at UT, delivered a lecture about the topics in question. In the last section of the program, the representative of the ECO Secretariat made a short speech. 

The course was instructed by Dr. Hooman Narenjiha, physician and researcher in Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment. His lectures addressed principles of addiction prevention in the workplace, universities, schools, and the media. Participants from ECO member countries took part in the online course and were awarded certificates of attendance.   

The welcome speech by Prof. Habiba, Vice President for Student Affairs, reads as follows:

In the Name of God

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Distinguished Participants

It is a pleasure for us to hold The Second Online Workshop on Primary Prevention of Addiction in ECO Member Countries.  First, we would like to welcome respectable participants who have gathered together to exchange experience and knowledge. Then, we would like to welcome ECO, Iran’s Drug Control Headquarters, and our colleagues at the University of Tehran, who are the organizers of this meeting.

At the University of Tehran, we believe that Prevention Approach is one of the most effective strategies to face addiction as a social issue.  

Since making attempts to provide health care for all the members of the society is among the social responsibilities of the University of Tehran, the University welcomes the opportunity to hold this online course. 

Over the past years, in addition to its primary duty concerning higher education, the University of Tehran, as one of the greatest institutions of higher education in the Islamic Republic of Iran, has attempted to work hand in hand with other institutions such as Iran’s Drug Control Headquarters to develop educational programs centering on preventing drug addiction. During this period, different strategies such as production and publication of books, organizing educational workshops, and participation in planning and policymaking have all played a central role in offering schools, universities, families, and work environments the necessary education concerning prevention of drug abuse.

On November 11, 2020, the First Educational Workshop on Primary Prevention of Addiction was held with eight ECO member countries in attendance. The workshop provided an opportunity for the participants to exchange knowledge and experience on an international level. 

This enriching experience prompted us to welcome the opportunity to hold the second educational workshop on the topic in question. Our central belief is that education and collaboration are ongoing processes. Particularly, it should be noted that addiction is a multilateral, complex, and tangible issue which could take a new form under the influence of economic, social, and cultural changes. As a result, our responses must be in accordance with these social transformations.

The international initiative and collaboration among ECO (Iran’s Drug Control Headquarters) and the University of Tehran is an opportunity for broadening our knowledge and reinforcing social responsibility and partnership to deal with addiction as a social issue.

We hope that this workshop can pave the way for future collaborations among the ECO member countries.  Lastly, it is hoped that after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ECO members can discuss their plans for social participation in face-to-face meetings.