The International Conference on Addictions in Asia 2022 & Eighth Annual Meeting of the Asian Association for Substance Abuse Research（AASAR） was held at the University of Macau on October 28. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this conference was conducted online. The conference attracted well-known scholars, researchers, and relevant officers in the field of problematic addiction. 15 speakers from the Mainland China, Macau, Hongkong, Taiwan District, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Philippines shared their findings of the new opportunities, new challenges, and coping strategies in addiction prevention.
This conference was organized in three sessions, each had an individual topic. Session I stressed internet addiction, session II focused on gambling addiction and other addictive behaviors, and session III ended with substance use intervention. The conference started at 10:00 am on October 28th and there added up to around 200 people online for the conference in all.
Session I: Internet Addiction
In the first session, scholars mainly discussed the risk factors and the protective factors of internet addiction among young people. Considering the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, scholars also discussed how the strict regulation caused by the epidemic affected young people's indulgence in the internet.
Session II: Gambling Addiction and Other Addictive Behaviors
After lunch, the second session was held at noon. Scholars discussed various addictive behaviors such as gambling addiction, internet gaming disorder, and alcohol addiction. Some scholars proposed a new type of addiction, "bubble tea addiction", which indicated a new type of addictive behavior worth discussing in the future.
Session III: Substance Use Intervention
The final session began in the afternoon and focused on substance abuse, with scholars sharing their latest advances in substance abuse treatment programs. At the end of the last Q&A session, Professor Yang delivered an overall summary, and Professor Li concluded the conference.
In line with previous meetings, this conference served excellently as a platform for sharing and discussion. Although the seminar could only be held online due to the epidemic prevention regulations, the rich content, cutting-edge topics, and in-depth discussion still made the seminar a feast of knowledge.
AASAR will continue to provide a platform for scholars studying addictions and is looking forward to more members joining. We hope for more opportunities for offline sharing after Covid-19.