The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has created several new resources for those who work within the criminal justice system and other environments where people in recovery are ready to return to their lives outside of a structured setting.
The new materials include:
- Drugs & the Brain Wallet Card. This is a trifold, business card-sized resource that provides a brief explanation of the risk of overdose upon relapse. It includes helpful websites and a space for counselors or individuals to add local resources or personalized information, including triggers. These wallet cards can be ordered free of charge from the NIDA Dissemination Center.
- The Science of Drug Use: Discussion Points. This online resource offers specific language for counselors, judges and others who work within drug education environments, to use when talking with teens and young adults, reinforcing the idea that addiction is a brain disease that requires treatment and ongoing attention. This resource includes information on where to obtain help.
To view the NIDA Treatment information page, see: https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/treatment. To view NIDA’s Criminal Justice web page, see: https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/criminal-justice.
To view Principles of Drug Abuse Treatment for Criminal Justice Populations: A Research-Based Guide, go to: https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-abuse-treatment-criminal-justice-populations-research-based-guide/preface. To view Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide, go to: https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment-research-based-guide-third-edition/preface.