Examination of substance abuse campaigns within the scope of health communication: The case of Ministry of Health

Communication appears in many different ways in many different areas throughout life and makes life easier as a result of effective use. In every field where there is communication, information flow can be realized more easily. The concept of health communication, which emerged as one of the sub branches of communication, aims to ensure that all needs such as important developments in the health sector, information that needs to be announced, creating awareness and increasing the power of improvement are realized. Preventing substance addiction, which has become one of the biggest problems of our country, can be planned with the establishment of an effective health communication. Public service announcements, which are actively carried out in the field of health communication, aim to warn, mobilize and raise awareness of addicted individuals and their relatives about substance addiction. As public service announcements have become widespread and achieved certain results, this study was conducted on alcohol, cigarettes and drugs, which are the leading substance addiction problems. Among the public service announcements on smoking addiction, drug addiction and alcohol addiction, the public service announcements made and supported by the Ministry of Health were examined and the most recent public service announcements published between 2020-2024 were analyzed. In the study, the semiotic analysis method was used to explain the interpretation tried to be created the semiotic analysis method was used to explain the interpretation tried to be created in the audience in various dimensions by using the semiotic analysis method together e audience in various dimensions by using the semiotic analysis method together with the examination of public service ads published in order to reduce and quit with the examination of public service ads published in order to reduce and quit smoking, drug and alcohol use.