Today, we invite you not only to a scientific meeting, but to the land where the struggle for tobacco control in Türkiye was born, flourished, and grew. A small spark ignited in Elazığ province in the early 1990s by a group of idealistic public health experts against the global tobacco industry eventually grew into one of the most powerful public health movements in our country.

Years later, the same city is poised to become a center where the national and international scientific worlds meet, rebuilding a shared understanding for a tobacco-free and nicotine-free future.

In the historic streets of Elazığ in Eastern Anatolia, in the serenity of Harput, and in the coolness of Keban; We will re-feel this spirit of struggle from the past and come together once again to walk stronger into the future.

The Society for Health Promotion and Tobacco Control was founded in 1993 within the Department of Public Health at Fırat University Faculty of Medicine and pioneered Turkiye’s first tobacco control initiatives in the areas of scientific publishing, advocacy, education, and policy development.

The “Turkish Journal of Tobacco Control” journal, which began publication in 1994; the civil society mobilization carried out during the passage of Law No. 4207 (first anti-tobacco law) ; the Quit and Win Campaigns; the legal process won to remove cigarette advertisements; national smoking or health congresses; contributions to the establishment of the National Committee on Smoking and Health; the establishment of Türkiye’s first smoking cessation clinic at Fırat University Faculty of Medicine Hospital; and awareness campaigns centered in Elazığ are concrete indicators of this leadership.

Today, as we approach the 30th anniversary of Law No. 4207, there is a need to re-evaluate the future of tobacco control policies at both the scientific and societal levels.

The diversification of tobacco and nicotine products, the industry’s aggressive marketing strategies, the increasing use of new-generation products among young people, and the weaknesses in implementation necessitate the re-establishment of a strong scientific platform.

This congress is a comprehensive response to the increasing pressures and needs of the tobacco industry.

The 2026 Elazığ Congress will cover:

• Current epidemiological data on tobacco and nicotine products,
• Public health impacts of new-generation products (e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, puffs, nicotine pouches),
• Need for national legislation, implementation challenges, and policy options,
• Evidence-based advocacy strategies against tobacco industry tactics,
• Multisectoral approaches to protecting youth and children,
• New models and technologies in smoking cessation services,
• International collaborations and knowledge-sharing mechanisms,
• Strengthening academic publishing capacity,
• Health impacts of tobacco use and secondhand smoke,
• Public health strategies and interventions for tobacco control,
• Economic, social, and environmental consequences of tobacco production and tobacco product consumption,
• Evaluation of the outcomes of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, MPOWER Policies and national and international tobacco control policies and practices,
• Behavioral and sociocultural factors affecting tobacco use,
• The role of digital and traditional media in preventing tobacco use The congress will discuss the role of tobacco in tobacco control,
• Ethical issues and challenges in tobacco control,
• The tobacco industry’s tactics and their impact on tobacco use in a multifaceted manner.

The congress aims to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration and research on the health, economic, environmental, and social impacts of tobacco use. The congress will continue to foster the exchange of information and opinions among healthcare professionals, educators, and policymakers, and to promote evidence-based, life-saving interventions for tobacco control. We particularly welcome studies that address the challenges faced in Türkiye and similar countries, while also contributing to the global fight against tobacco-related diseases.

Furthermore, the congress will provide a strong scientific basis for the Turkish Journal of Tobacco Control – Tobacco Alarm for Health, which has returned after a long hiatus, and will foster a research culture with special sessions supporting young researchers.

Why Elazığ?

Because Elazığ is not just a city; it is where Türkiye’s hopes for a tobacco-nicotine-free future first blossomed. The struggle, which began in the 1990s at the Department of Public Health at Fırat University’s Faculty of Medicine, has evolved into one of Türkiye’s most effective public health initiatives and has contributed to the establishment of a strong tobacco control infrastructure in the country.

From June 3-7, 2026, in Elazığ, we will be both keeping the memory of this great struggle alive and shaping its future together.

We invite you to the NATIONAL TOBACCO CONTROL CONGRESS WITH INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPATION to share your scientific knowledge, experience, and vision; to inspire young researchers; and to jointly develop policies and strategies for a tobacco-free and nicotine-free future in Türkiye.

This congress is a respect for the past, a responsibility to the present, and a shared commitment to the future.

Your presence will further strengthen this historic march.

Sincerely,

On behalf of the Board of Directors of The Society for Health Promotion and Tobacco Control

Congress Co-Chairs