1907 - 2007 | A History

A Centuries' History

ICAA Conference in Lausanne (1921)

Alcohol Conference Lausanne (1921)

In 2007, ICAA celebrated its 100th anniversary. A jubilee which merits to critically review the progress made in the different fields of addiction practice and research over the past century. It also represents a rich history providing a sound platform for present and future activities. 

The Beginning

ICAA - the International Council on Alcohol and Addcitions, an independent, not-for-profit non-governmental organisation was established as the International Bureau Against Alcoholism (IBAA) during the 11th International  Congress Against Alcoholism in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1907. Its headquarters were set up in Lausanne, Switzerland. Preparing this conference, the need had been recognised for a creation of a permanent organisation to provide constant information on alcohol questions throughout the world.

Robert Hercod, first Director of ICAA

Robert Hercod, Executive Director from 1907 to 1950

Robert Hercod, of Switzerland, who had already been insturmental in setting up what is today known as the Insitut suisse de prévention de l'acloolisme et autres toxicomanies (SFA-ISPA) was named the new organisation's first director. As it continued in its prupose to gather and make available scientific information on alcohol related issues and events to governments and individuals, the Bureau became the organisational secretariat of the International Congresses on Alcoholism. Its contacts with international bodies such as the Health Secretariat of the League of Nations in Geneva presaged in future cooperation in later years with the United Nations, the World Health Organisation, and other specialized agencies.

The Early Years

The end of prohibition in the USA in the early 1930s and the movement based upon the concept of alcoholism enunciated by E. M. Jellinek resulted in a moderation of the influence of temperance organisations, which, with the exception of a restricted number of medical and scientific circles, had been virtually the only organisations concerned with questions of alcohol abuse and treatment. This shift in emphasis made it possible to interest and enlist the concerns of individuals and authorities who would never have adopted an abstinence attitude to address the problems of alcohol consumption.

Time of Change

Due to the political and social disruptions of World War II, the movement to view alcoholism as an illness did not reach Europe until the late 1940s. The first post-war Congress, held in Lucerne in 1948, adopted a historic resolution which recognized alcohol as a medical, moral, and social problem and expressed the wish that in every country alcoholism be considered a disease, a position which would be consistent with that of the newly formed World Health Organisation (WHO).

Birth of the "Institutes"

Archer Tongue, Director from 1952 to 1990

Archer Tongue., Executive Director from 1952 to 1990

When Archer Tongue was appointed as the Bureau's second director in 1952, one of his first tasks was to facilitate relationships and the exchange of information among the many organisations which had accepted alcohlism as an illness and which were advocating that treatment centres be established for the treatment of the disease. It had become clear that one international congress every three or four years was not sufficient to respond to the needs of a growing professional and international audience needing the opportunities for the exchange and debate in the issues of treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention of alcoholism.  

First ICAA Insitute, Geneva 1952

ICAA Institute Geneva (1954)

The Bureau decided to sponsor an annual conference or "Institute" to provide the occasion for an interdisciplinary group to meet and share knowledge and expertise in the field. After four annual sessions in Geneva, and in repsonse to popular demand, the annual Institute for Scientific Studies  for the Prevention of Alcoholism started to meet in different countries. As of 1970, the separate annual Institute for Scientific Studies  for the Prevention of Drug Dependence was organised, thus expanding the Bureau's focus to drugs other than alcohol. 

Expansion of Activities

In addition to its annual Institutes and the International Congresses, the Bureau has also been at the forefront of sponsoring international meetings on specific aspects on problems associated with alcohol and alcoholism. Beginning in the 1950s, these included the first International Congress on Alcohol and Traffic Safety, the first International Conference on Alcoholism in Industry, or the first Arab International Conference on Drug Abuse.

Arab Regional ICAA Conference

ICAA Regional Conference in Bahrain (1970s)

It was in 1964 that the Bureau changed its name, becoming the International Coucil on Alcohol and Alcoholism (ICAA). This reflected a widening of the organisation's scope of interests. In the late 1960s, under the leadership of WHO, the concept of alcoholism as an illness was replaced by that of alcohol dependence. The use of the term "dependence" was felt to be a much more suitable and precise description than "addiction" and a combined approach to alcohol and other drugs in both prevention and services was recommended by the WHO's Expert Committee on Services for the Prevention and Treatment of Dependence on Alcohol and other Drugs. ICAA promoted this recommendation, included drug dependence into its programme, and became, in 1968, the International Council on Alcohol and Addictions (ICAA).

International Recognition

With the inclusion of drug dependence in its programmes, the  Council expanded its contacts with a growing number of international governmental and non-governmental organisations. As such, ICAA was granted in 1968  consultative status with the United Nation's Economic and Scoial Council (ECOSOC) and was offered the status of official relationship with the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Eva Tongue with Perez de Cuellar

Eva Tongue (2nd from right) meeting Perez de Cuellar, Secretary General of the United Nations (1980s)

These international recognitions of ICAA's work meant regular participantion at WHO and UN meetings, in particular the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs.  Cooperation with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) continued to expand, resulting in a number of jointly executed projects, especially in the field of workplace programmes.

NGO Networking

Starting during the late 1960s, the Council has been instrumental in developing UN as well as NGO activities in the field of drug demand reduction. Cooperation with other NGOs in the field led, amongst other things, to ICAA's active participation in the NGO Committee on Narcotic Drugs at the UN Office in Vienna, which has been chaired by ICAA representatives sinces its inception. Major activities included the co-organisation of NGO Meetings at the major UN conferences during the 1990s as well as during the UN General Assembly's Sepcial Session on Drugs (New York, 1998).

Training Courses

African Training Course

ICAA West African Training Course (1980s)

In 1981 and with external financial assistance, ICAA began holding Training Courses for primary health care professionals in the prevention and treatment of dependencies. The curricula included epidemiological studies, pharmacological factors, treatment approaches, medical assessment and early treatment strategies, community involvement,  as well as co-operation ith professionals of the demand and supply reduction field. The series of training courses continued throughout the 1980 and early 1990s and were held in Western and Eastern Africa, Latin America, as well as South East Asia.

Creation of ICAA Sections

Arhcer Tongue charing a Conference Session

Archer Tongue (centre) chairing a Conference Session (1990s)

Due to the ever-growing complexity of the addiction problem, the debate had to be narrowed down to more specific areas, each of these to be covered by an ICAA Section. The number of these sections grew over the time as a result of the continues broadening of the addiction scene.  Several of these sections are also active outside regular ICAA meetings and were instrumental in launching new organisations, including, for example the Kettil Bruun Society (KBS)  or the World Federation of Therapeutic Communities (WFTC).

Opening of Regional Offices

The 1980s saw ICAA's expansion continue, with the opening of its Regional Office in London. This was added to the already established field offices in Colombia, France, Ghana, Nigeria, the USA, and later Egypt and Argentina. Apart form their main stream of activities these offices were created to help spread knowledge of ICAA's work over a wider area and to be closer to its members. Today, ICAA has Regional Offices in Bucharest, Cairo, Chicago and Sao Paolo.

Strategic Development

ICAA Board in the early 1990s

The Board of Directors (early 1990s)

Archer Tongue retired in 1990 and was succeed by his wife, Eva Tongue, who had been his deputy since 1968. New emerging trends in the addictition field resulted in ICAA enlarging once again its scope of subjects. To alcohol, drugs and tobacco issues the area of gambling dependence was added in 1996. ICAA also merged the previously separate Institutes, thus allowing a broad dialogue of different disciplines and thematic backgrounds. The year 2000 saw the retirement of Eva Tongue and the beginning of a period of structural changes and the development of a new strategic plan. A new Mission Statement was adopted in 2004, followed in 2006 by the General Assembly's approval of a Strategic Plan and a new Constitution. 

Review and Outlook

ICAA Info Desk

ICAA Exhibition Stand (1992)

Reviewing the first hundred years of ICAA, its former director Archer Tongue highlighted the uniqueness of ICAA which resided in its character as an association where all concerned about or involved in the reduction or limitation of harmful depednet behaviour can associate to share experience in this field even if their approaches and attitudes to the means of handling these problems in society might differ. What has been important in ICAA's long time endeavor has been to emphasize that the constituency involved is a heterogenous one but that there had to be fixed points at which players on the professional and public scene came together, recognized one another's achievements and objectives, and despite divergence and competence, could learn form and share with one another. In this sense ICAA continued to have a mission to perform and was in perhaps a unique position to foster international progress and understanding among those concerned with dependence problems all over the world.


Source:
Archer Tongue, The International Council on Alcohol and Addictions, unpublished paper, ICAA Conference on Dependencies, São Paolo & Rio de Janeiro,  2002