Director's Perspective

When the Question Is Drug Abuse and Addiction, the Answer Is 'All of the Above'

Too often, discussions about how to reduce drug abuse and addiction turn into intense debates between polarized viewpoints. Is drug addiction a brain disease or a bad personal choice? Should we treat addicts or "hold them responsible" and punish them? Which is more important, law enforcement to restrict the availability of drugs, or prevention and treatment programs to reduce demand for them? Such debates reflect misunderstanding of the nature of the most destructive health and social problem facing our Nation today. The clear and unambiguous message from 25 years of scientific research is

Using Science to Counter the Spread of Ecstasy Abuse

At a time when the abuse of most illicit drugs has leveled off or declined slightly among the Nation's youth, one drug has soared in popularity. It is known by many names, among them "MDMA," "ecstasy," "X," or simply "E." (See "MDMA/Ecstasy-A Drug With Complex Consequences") MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is the only drug whose use has increased significantly among the Nation's 10th- and 12th-graders during each of the last 2 years. Last year it extended its reach to younger adolescents as use increased among eighth-graders. Recent epidemiologic data indicate that MDMA abuse also is

Understanding the Risks of Prescription Drug Abuse

Prescription drugs can transform lives. For the millions of patients who take them, prescription drugs bring dramatic improvements in health and quality of life. But when abused or misused, many of these medications can have effects that disrupt rather than improve lives. Some prescription medications-particularly opioids, central nervous system (CNS) depressants, and stimulants-alter the brain's activity, and misuse or abuse of these drugs can lead to compulsive drug seeking and use, the hallmark of addiction. The most dramatic increases in new nonmedical use of prescription drugs were among

Treating the Brain in Drug Abuse

Remarkable research and technological advances in the past two decades have proved that brain disruption and damage play central roles in the consequences of drug abuse and addiction. Knowing the nature of a problem, of course, opens the way for systematic attempts to fix it. Thus, today, finding ways to restore normal brain function after it has been changed by drugs is a main goal of NIDA research. (See "NIDA Pursues Many Approaches to Reversing Methamphetamine's Neurotoxic Effects") This goal involves two challenges: To reverse the brain changes that underlie addiction, and To roll back the

The State of the Art in Drug Addiction Treatment

NIDA's recent publication, Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-based Guide, distills the lessons of 25 years of scientific investigation. Principles is written for health care providers, to stimulate their awareness of the variety of effective approaches to drug treatment. It is also for patients and potential patients and their families, to help them understand the nature of addiction and to tell them about scientifically based treatments and what to expect if they enter treatment. And it serves planners and policymakers as well, enabling them to make informed decisions

The Next Generation of Drug Abuse Research

NIDA was established in 1974 to bring the power of science to bear on the Nation's drug abuse problems. The Institute's first 25 years have been marked by groundbreaking scientific discoveries about the biology of the brain and its links to behavior that have revolutionized how drug abuse is viewed, prevented, and treated. (For more information, see "NIDA Marks 25 Years of Progress in Drug Abuse Research".) The combined power of science and practice will accelerate the development and application of the next generation of drug abuse prevention and treatment programs. At the time of NIDA's

The Dual Challenge of Substance Abuse and Mental Disorders

As many as 6 in 10 people who abuse drugs and alcohol also suffer from mental illnesses, according to epidemiological studies. Conversely, some 25 to 60 percent of individuals with mental illnesses also have substance abuse disorders. The overwhelming reality of these concurrent disorders presents huge challenges for drug abuse research, prevention, and treatment. Our attempts to understand substance abuse and mental illness comorbidity are complicated by the many ways these complex conditions can develop. Research suggests that some people's genetic makeup may put them at higher risk for

The Addicted Brain: Why Such Poor Decisions?

One central puzzle haunts any consideration of drug addiction, for research scientists as well as for the rest of the population: Why do men and women who have developed addiction obsessively seek and use drugs, even after the drugs no longer produce pleasure? Why do individuals who are addicted to drugs persist in behavior that damages their health and corrodes the quality of their lives? How can they make such poor decisions? We are far from having complete answers to these questions, but NIDA-sponsored research has begun to provide clues that might lead to answers. We are beginning to

Taking Drug Abuse Research to the Community

NIDA research has produced a tremendous amount of scientific knowledge about preventing drug abuse and treating addiction. However, this knowledge has not yet reached many American homes, schools, and communities. As a result, long-held mistaken beliefs about drug abuse continue to hold sway in many segments of our society. These prevailing myths about drug abuse harm those with drug-related problems, their families, and the health care professionals who work with them. NIDA Town Meetings have proven to be an effective vehicle for communicating what science has discovered about the nature of

Spreading the Word about NIDA Research

Sparked by recent advances in opiate studies and other basic research, drug abuse researchers are excited about the promise of what may lie ahead. I share that excitement because I believe, as they do, that we may be on the brink of making important new discoveries to help us more effectively address the problems of drug abuse and addiction. Since I became NIDA's director last February, I have immersed myself in each aspect of NIDA's research portfolio. I have been tremendously impressed myself with the extent of drug abuse research advances made by NIDA-supported investigators and intramural

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