Green Crescent Week: Fighting Addiction Saves Lives

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nurten Elkin, Coordinator for Combating Addiction at Istanbul Gelisim University, made statements regarding Green Crescent Week (1–7 March). Every year, the first week of March is celebrated as Green Crescent Week. This week is used to raise public awareness about addiction, encourage healthy lifestyle habits, and protect especially young people from harmful habits. Smoking, alcohol use, substance use, and technology addiction are among the most serious public health problems today.

The workshop titled “Relationship and Emotional Dependencies”, organized in collaboration with the Istanbul Gelişim University Faculty of Health Sciences Department of Child Development, the Addiction Prevention Coordination Office, and the Dean of Students Office, was held on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at the Gelişim Tower Student Center on the 17th floor.

As part of Green Crescent Week (1–7 March), a Green Crescent stand was set up on March 4, 2026, at the entrance area of Tower J Block on the campus of Istanbul Gelisim University (IGU) by the Addiction Prevention Coordination Office.

In collaboration with the IGU Addiction Prevention Coordination Office and the IGU Student Dean's Office, Assoc. Prof. Nurten ELKİN conducted a workshop titled "Less Talked About New Generation Addictions" on the 17th floor of Tower.

The “Getting to Know YEDAM” event was held through the collaboration of the Department of Child Development within the Faculty of Health Sciences at Istanbul Gelişim University and the Addiction Combat Coordination Unit.

The workshop titled “Healthy Development: Substance Addiction in Children and Adolescents”, organized in collaboration with the Istanbul Gelişim University Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Child Development, the Addiction Prevention Coordination Unit, and the Dean of Students, was held on Thursday, 18 December 2025, on the 17th floor of the Gelişim Tower Student Center.

The event titled “Being a Graduate of a Master’s Program”, organized by Istanbul Gelisim University (IGU), Asst. Prof. Nurten Elkin, the event comprehensively addressed the significance of master’s education in individual development and career planning.

A seminar titled “Technology Addiction and Online Gambling in Children” was organized by the Department of Child Development at Istanbul Gelişim University Faculty of Health Sciences in collaboration with the Addiction Prevention Coordination Unit. The seminar was held on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, between 14:00 and 16:00 at the Esenyurt District Governorate Family Support Center. Within the scope of the program, topics such as technology addiction among children in the digitalized world, online gambling mechanisms, risky digital content, parental awareness, and preventive and protective practices were discussed.

As the Istanbul Gelisim University Young Yesilay Crescent Club, we visited the Yesilay Crescent Youth Center on Monday, November 17, 2025, and spent an informative as well as enjoyable day. During the visit, a comprehensive briefing program was conducted on the Yesilay Crescent’s work, objectives, and activities in the field of addiction prevention.

A workshop titled “TECHNOLOGY ADDICTION” was held by Asst. Prof. Nurten ELKİN, a faculty member, in cooperation with the Dean of Students; Office of the IGU Addiction Fighting Coordinatorship.