This is Archived Content. This content is available for historical purposes only. It may not reflect the current state of science or language from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). View current news releases on nida.nih.gov.
Marijuana vaping and edible use increasing among high school seniors
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A new analysis suggests that among adolescent marijuana users, smoking has become less prevalent, eclipsed by vaping and edibles.
NIDA Director outlines potential risks to people who smoke and use drugs during COVID-19 pandemic
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The precarious intersection of the COVID-19 national health emergency and the concurrent epidemic of drug overdose deaths is outlined in the Annals of Internal Medicine this week by Dr. Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health.
Stigma and addiction addressed in New England Journal of Medicine
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In a perspective released today in The New England Journal of Medicine, NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow addresses how stigma against people who use drugs can sabotage effective treatment.
Dopamine Neurons Signal Rich Information About Unexpected Events
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In this study, both rats and humans learned to predict differently flavored rewards in parallel choice tasks, showing that dopamine neurons are carrying much more information than previously thought.
New biological clues linking social connectedness to reduced drug craving and relapse
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This rodent study offers the first mechanistic explanation for the protective effect of social interaction related to incubation of craving, showing for the first time the role of a specific enzyme (PKCδ) in any learned or motivated behavior, as well as the critical role of a peptide in the brain’s central amygdala (somatostatin).
National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week® celebrates 10 years
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NDAFW is an annual, week-long observance in which local educational events link teens with science-based facts about drugs and alcohol through live and online activities across the country.
Study highlights effectiveness of methadone and buprenorphine
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In a comparative effectiveness study of 6 approaches to treatment for opioid use disorders, only treatment with buprenorphine or methadone was associated with reduced risk of overdose and serious opioid-related acute care use.
NIDA scientists: Blocking adenosine receptors should counteract adverse effects of cannabinoids
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Computational modeling by NIDA scientists suggests the possible use of adenosine A2A receptor antagonists to counteract the adverse effects of cannabinoids.
Babies exposed to HCV not adequately tested
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NIDA-funded science has found that HCV exposed infants might not be commonly or adequately tested.
Many teens who overdose on opioids do not get effective follow-up
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An analysis of Medicaid records shows that less than one-third of youths treated for a nonfatal opioid overdose received timely follow-up treatment, and only 1 in 54 youths received recommended evidence-based medications.
Coaxing the brain to pay attention to healthier choices
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Neuroscience research from NIDA’s Intramural Research Program suggests that cortical mechanisms, especially in the orbitofrontal cortex, are likely involved in attentional bias to cocaine associated environmental cues and offer a targeted location for research.
Changing the way we view opioid receptors
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Newly published research from NIDA funded scientists offers new insight into how opioid receptors work to regulate chemical communication in the brain. The researchers discover unexpected receptor mobility and diffusion, and also find that receptor binding and signaling can occur in separate steps.
Vaping of marijuana on the rise among teens
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Findings from the 2019 Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey demonstrate the appeal of vaping to teens, as seen in the increased prevalence of marijuana use as well as nicotine vaping.
Measuring the complex path to a prescription opioid use disorder
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NIDA scientists examine an accepted model of the causes of depression to determine its usefulness as a foundation to predict the probability of prescription opioid use disorder.
New discovery on the brain’s reward pathway
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Scientists at NIDA’s Intramural Research Program (IRP) have identified a population of neurons engaged in the compulsive nature of food seeking, which, like substance use, engage the brain’s reward circuit. Investigators have identified lateral hypothalamic leptin receptor-expressing neurons as modulators within the hypothalamic-ventral tegmental circuit that relates to motivation and reward.
NIH-funded study finds teens prefer mint and mango vaping flavors
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A new analysis suggests that teens prefer mint and mango as their vaping flavors of choice for e-cigarettes
Healing the altered brains of smokers
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A study from NIDA’s Intramural Research Program illuminates the roles of the brain’s striatum and habenula in nicotine withdrawal and reward, suggesting that current medications for smoking cessation are not targeting the optimal parts of the brain, leading to ongoing reward processing deficits that could make pleasurable activities less enjoyable.
Who is most likely to become addicted to nicotine?
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NIDA scientists discover that connectivity between insular regions of the brain before using nicotine can predict severity of addiction.
Nicotine addiction linked to diabetes through a DNA-regulating gene in animal models
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Researchers have discovered a mechanism in rats that links cigarette smoking and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Measuring sleep challenges in opioid use disorder patients
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A new study at NIDA’s Intramural Research Center measured sleep patterns in opioid use disorder patients and found that clinic appointment hours make a difference in sleep quality. They also documented that when patients use opioids or other drugs while undergoing treatment, it disrupts their sleep.
Teen e-cigarette use doubles since 2017
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Data from the 2019 Monitoring the Future Survey of eighth, 10th and 12th graders show alarmingly high rates of e-cigarette use compared to just a year ago, with rates doubling in the past two years.
Marijuana use at historic highs among college-age adults
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Newly released Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey data on drug use in college-age adults ages 19-22 shows an increase in marijuana use in the past five years, including vaping with marijuana, as well as a significant increase in nicotine vaping.
NASEM releases National Agenda on Children’s Behavioral Health
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The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine has released a national scientific agenda on Fostering Healthy Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Development in Children and Youth, recommending a comprehensive approach to better prevent poor outcomes in children related to mental health and substance use. The report notes that despite the development of effective evidence-based programs in recent years, much of what we know has not yet been implemented in many communities, and rates of depression, suicide, and self-harm among young people have actually been increasing.
Unraveling the mystery of the glutamate-dopamine connection
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Investigators identify a subpopulation of calbindin neurons with the capability to co-release glutamate and dopamine in the nucleus accumbens shell.
Worms lead scientists to a new anti-opioid system
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A team of NIH-funded scientists used worms to discover a surprising biological system that counteracts the effects of opioids, offering a potential new target for improving the safety of opioid pain relievers.
New findings could lead to reduced replication of the HIV virus
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In this study, NIDA-funded scientists found that the HIV RNA genome has two previously unknown types of RNA marks.
Teens who misuse medicines get them from multiple sources
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Two NIDA-funded studies have found that adolescents using multiple sources for prescription medications are at high risk for other substance use.
Co-prescribing naloxone in Medicare Part D increases
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A study found that overall national rates for naloxone co-prescription along with any opioid among Medicare Part D patients increased from 1.5 per 1000 patients receiving opioid prescriptions in 2016 to 4.6 per 1000 in 2017.
First time drug use more common in summertime
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Government surveys showed that in 2017, an estimated three million people tried marijuana for the first time, just over a million tried cocaine, close to 800,000 tried LSD, and close to 790,000 initiated use of ecstasy (MDMA/Molly).
Parenting programs lead to healthier behaviors
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A study conducted among 517 youth in the rural areas of the southeastern United States demonstrates the effectiveness of a parenting enhancement program in both preventing drug use and obesity, two potentially life-threatening conditions for which people living in disadvantaged communities are at an elevated risk.
NIH establishes network to improve opioid addiction treatment in criminal justice settings
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The National Institutes of Health will award 12 grants to form the Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN) to support research on quality addiction treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) in criminal justice settings nationwide.
Similarities between aggressive and addictive behaviors
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Scientists from NIDA’s Intramural Research Program show that neural mechanisms that control appetitive aggressive behavior are similar to those that control drug-taking and seeking (relapse), suggesting common neurobiological mechanisms of aggression reward and drug reward.
Prescription opioid misuse in high school linked to later heroin use
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A NIDA-funded study suggests that misuse of prescription opioid pain relievers in high school could be linked to heroin use later in life.
Medical Marijuana Laws and Opioid Overdose Rates
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A new study underscores the need for additional research on the effect of medical marijuana laws on opioid overdose deaths and cautions against drawing a causal connection between the two.
Female reproductive cycle affects cocaine craving in animal study
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Researchers at NIDA’s Intramural Research Program (IRP) wanted to determine if the incubation of craving would be different in male and female rats and if the effect is stronger after binge cocaine intake, compared to continuous use.
Study finds increased cannabis use during pregnancy
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Cannabis use more than doubled among pregnant women in the United States during the period 2002-2017.
Project to deter opioid tampering wins 2019 NIDA Addiction Science Award
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A 14-year-old’s innovative approach to prevent tampering and misuse of opioid pills won a first place Addiction Science Award at the 2019 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)—the world’s largest science competition for high school students.
Brief drug use disrupts learning mechanisms in the brain
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In a new animal study, scientists at NIDA’s Intramural Research Program have demonstrated that cocaine use profoundly disrupts these teaching signals.
The Brain and our Immune System: Working Together
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Growing evidence in animal studies documents bidirectional signaling between the brain and immune system in the development of behavioral and physical health problems.
Scientists identify brain circuits engaged in compulsive heroin use
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People addicted to heroin and other opioids experience withdrawal when they discontinue or no longer have access to these drugs. Scientists at NIDA’s Intramural Research Program (IRP) wanted to learn more about the brain circuits that enable these conditioned withdrawal cues to promote compulsive heroin use.
Opioid Dose Variability Associated with Overdose
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A new study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse found that high dose variability increases the odds for an opioid overdose independent of dose alone.
Cues give clues in relapse prevention
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Scientists at NIDA's intramural research labs in Baltimore, Maryland have shown that discriminative stimuli can control the incubation of drug craving, even in the absence of conditioned stimuli.
Opioids without the risk of addiction?
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Investigators have found that the opioid-galanin receptor heteromers determine the different effects of methadone as compared to morphine and fentanyl, showing methadone with a weaker ability to activate the dopaminergic system linked to the euphoric effects of opioids.
Dr. Jack Stein appointed NIDA Chief of Staff
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Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), has appointed Jack B. Stein, Ph.D., to be the NIDA Chief of Staff, a newly created position to support and assist the Director with coordination and strategic planning of key institute initiatives.
Opioid Overdose Reversal News: FDA-approved naloxone devices produce substantially higher blood levels of naloxone than improvised nasal spray
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A new study looked at how well the FDA-approved nasal spray and autoinjector compared to the improvised nasal devices, which are not FDA-approved.
The Genius of Chemogenetics
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Some NIDA-funded scientists have just published findings in the journal Science showing the development of a new, groundbreaking chemogenetics technology for modulating brain function in a remote, precise and ultra-sensitive manner in living subjects.
The brain in pain
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NIDA-funded researchers identified a critical role for an internal brain opioid network called the dynorphin-kappa opioid receptor (KOR) system.
Serotonin Unexpectedly Regulates Expression of Brain Genes
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The brain chemical serotonin can regulate expression of genes within neurons in a very unexpected way, as described in a NIDA-funded paper just published in the journal Nature.
Monthly buprenorphine injections effective for opioid use disorders
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A newly published study suggests the long-acting buprenorphine formulation BUP-XR is more effective than placebo in helping patients struggling with addiction to opioids. BUP-XR is a monthly extended-release injection.
New toolkit for genomic editing holds promise for addiction research
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The scientific world has advanced immeasurably by the science of DNA and genetics. Manipulating gene expression to change the way that cells such as neurons function has helped scientists create very specific tools to use for understanding and developing treatments for human diseases.
The mystery of serotonin’s role in behavior
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While selective serotonin uptake inhibitors comprise the major class of modern antidepressants, the role of serotonin in reward function remains poorly understood.
Higher rates of NAS linked with economic conditions
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A NIDA-funded analysis of eight states showed a significant association between rates of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) and poor economic conditions.
A whole new view of CB2
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NIDA-funded scientists have recently identified the crystal structure of the CB1 receptor and have some understanding of how it modulates the system.
Cascade of Care model recommended for opioid crisis
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A team of NIDA-funded scientists has offered a critical look at how to build an improved framework of care for the identification and treatment of people with opioid use disorder (OUD).
Scientists closer to finding inherited traits in addiction
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Scientists have concluded that the risk of addiction is a complex combination of both genes and environmental influences.
New Insights for Astrocytes
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Scientists at NIDA's Intramural Research Program have just published a study suggesting that ventral midbrain astrocytes are physiologically distinct from astrocytes in other parts of the brain.
Teens using vaping devices in record numbers
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America’s teens report a dramatic increase in their use of vaping devices in just a single year, with 37.3 percent of 12th graders reporting “any vaping” in the past 12 months, compared to just 27.8 percent in 2017.
ABCD study completes enrollment, announces opportunities for scientific engagement
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The National Institutes of Health announced today that enrollment for the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study is now complete and, in early 2019, scientists will have access to baseline data from all ABCD Study participants.
New findings related to cell functions and calcium deficiency; may impact substance use disorders
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A new paper just published in Cell Reports describes, for the first time, a novel pathological mechanism that may contribute to a variety of disease states.
Stopping marijuana use improves memory
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A new study suggests that one month of abstinence from cannabis improves working memory in adolescents and young adults, with most of the improvement happening in the first week.
Compound identified as possible medication target for cocaine use disorder
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NIH-funded scientists have now identified a compound that shows promise in reducing self-administration of cocaine in mice.
Research suggests benzodiazepine use is high while use disorder rates are low
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A recent analysis suggests that benzodiazepine use disorders are relatively rare among the adults who use benzodiazepine medications, even if they are misusing them.
Study shows impact of social interactions on addictive behavior
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A new study published in Nature Neuroscience finds that social interactions can have a profound effect on behaviors related to addiction, and on the brain’s response to drug-associated cues.
Brain ensembles that tune on or off to social exploration
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An international team of scientists led by NIDA utilized miniature fluorescence microscopes to record calcium activities from hundreds of excitatory neurons in the mPFC in the brains of mice, while they freely explored social interactions with other mice.
New opioid treatment resources for emergency department clinicians
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The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) today announced the availability of informational resources for clinicians interested in initiating buprenorphine treatment in emergency department settings.
Daily use of marijuana among non-college young adults at all time high
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The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) announced that the latest Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey results on substance use trends as teens transition to adulthood are now available online, comparing substance use patterns of full-time college students to their non-college peers.
Immediate switch to low levels of nicotine in cigarettes more effective than a gradual reduction
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The FDA is considering a regulatory policy to reduce the levels of nicotine in combustible cigarettes to minimally addictive levels.
Intervention increases use of Medication for both HIV/AIDS and Substance Use Disorders
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A vanguard study with people who inject drugs provides evidence that a specific flexible, scalable intervention increases reported use of both antiretroviral therapy for HIV/AIDS (ART) and medication therapy for drug use. It also increased viral suppression, reduced mortality, and prevented new HIV transmissions to discordant injecting partners in the study.
A look at drug craving
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Studies using animal models of addiction have shown that drug seeking progressively increases after drug self-administration stops, which is a phenomenon called incubation of drug craving.
E-Cigs linked to heart attacks
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An analysis of health data concludes that e-cigarette use, adjusted for smoking conventional cigarettes and other risk factors, is associated with increased risk of myocardial infarction, which is commonly known as a heart attack caused by blockage of the arteries.
Mindfulness training and substance use treatment
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A NIDA-funded study showed that a mindful awareness training program is associated with improved outcomes for women seeking treatment for substance use disorders.
How cannabis use disorder affects working memory
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Using imaging technologies, NIDA-funded scientists peered into the brains of people with cannabis use disorder to test their working memory, compared to a control group.
Pregnant women in Appalachia face barriers to opioid treatment
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A NIDA-funded study has discovered that pregnant women in Appalachia face barriers to receiving medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders, from both insurers and providers.
Journal commentary addresses role of dentists in opioid crisis
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The commentary, authored by Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and Dr. Martha Somerman, director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, both parts of the National Institutes of Health, highlights how the Institutes are working together to support scientific research for those in clinical practice.
Study casts doubt on effectiveness of e-cigs for smoking cessation
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A study found no evidence that smokers who used e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) in the United States were more likely to quit smoking cigarettes than smokers who do not use these products.
2018 Avenir award recipient to study how social networks affect people who use drugs
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A proposal to study how drug users who are part of social networks influence their own communities has been given the 2018 Avenir award for HIV/AIDS research by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
A revealing look at the brain on heroin
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A NIDA-funded study reveals major changes in the brains of heroin users.
New clinician screening tool available for substance use
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The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Clinical Trials Network has unveiled a new scientifically validated, online screening tool designed to assess a patient’s risk for substance misuse and substance use disorder, and assist the health care provider with prevention and treatment strategies.
Training module now available for acute pain management in hospitalized adults
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A case-based clinician training module designed for the evaluation of acute pain and opioid management for adults is now available through the Centers of Excellence in Pain Education (CoEPE) program, coordinated by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Scientists discover path to better pain medicines
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In this this NIDA-funded research, scientists used a novel approach to compare the cell signaling initiated by kappa opioids that produce dysphoria from those that do not.
Analysis of insurance coverage for back pain shows missed opportunities to prescribe non-opioid medications
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A comprehensive analysis of health insurance coverage of non-opioid and opioid medications to treat chronic low back pain concluded that some insurance plans have missed important opportunities to steer patients towards safer and more effective treatments than prescription opioids.
Methadone and buprenorphine reduce risk of death after opioid overdose
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A National Institutes of Health-funded study found that treatment of opioid use disorder with either methadone or buprenorphine following a nonfatal opioid overdose is associated with significant reductions in opioid related mortality.
Special journal issue highlights ABCD brain study
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The special issue is an overview of the ABCD Study and includes articles about the rationale for the study, its design and recruitment strategy, assessment protocols and neuroimaging parameters, the inclusion of twins in the research design, biomedical ethics and clinical oversight, and retention considerations, among others.
Too Hot And Too Cold: Dysregulation of key brain networks in people with addiction
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Study suggests that brain activity is not simply too high or low in people who are addicted to drugs, but behaves differently to drug and non-drug stimuli.
Full survey of annual teen drug use now available with additional data
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The complete volume of the 2017 Monitoring the Future Survey (MTF) teen drug use and behavior survey results is now available online with never before seen highlights about drug use and attitudes among the nation’s eighth, 10th and 12th graders.
Higher rate of substance use among Native American youth on reservations
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A survey comparing drug use among Native American youth living on or near reservations to a national sample of American youth found that Native American youth report substantially higher use of alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes, and other illicit drugs.
Breathing under the influence of … fentanyl
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An animal study at NIDA's intramural research labs suggests fentanyl-induced respiratory depression affects the temperature of the brain, triggering brain hypoxia and hyperglycemia.
Method to identify undetected drug suicides wins top NIDA Addiction Science Award
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A project that identified and tested a bioinformatics program that can help identify underreported suicides linked to drug overdoses was awarded the first-place distinction at the 2018 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)—the world’s largest science competition for high school students.
FDA approves first medication to reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms
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Lofexidine, the first medication for use in reducing symptoms associated with opioid withdrawal in adults, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
What science says about Tobacco + Marijuana + Pregnancy
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A NIDA-funded study suggests that pregnant women who smoke both marijuana and cigarettes have a higher likelihood of smaller babies and increased maternal stress and aggression.
Study upends conventional view of opioid mechanism of action
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A new discovery shows that opioids used to treat pain, such as morphine and oxycodone, produce their effects by binding to receptors inside neurons, contrary to conventional wisdom that they acted only on the same surface receptors as endogenous opioids, which are produced naturally in the brain.
Nearly half of opioid-related overdose deaths involve fentanyl
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An analysis of opioid-related overdose deaths found that synthetic opioids, such as illicit fentanyl, have surpassed prescription opioids as the most common drug involved in overdose deaths in the U.S.
Dr. Kurt Rasmussen to lead NIDA’s therapeutics and medical consequences division
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The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a component of the National Institutes of Health, welcomed Dr. Kurt Rasmussen today as the Director of the Division of Therapeutics and Medical Consequences (DTMC).
Understanding the Neuroscience of Addiction: what it means for prevention and treatment
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Advances in the understanding of brain development, as well as the role that genes and environment play in addiction, are the focus of a review article published today in The American Journal of Psychiatry.
Overdose drug shows promise as stroke treatment
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Preclinical research lays the groundwork for developing the first drug to promote recovery from ischemic stroke, a leading cause of adult disability.
Five million American adults misusing prescription stimulants
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Looking at annual averages, approximately 6.6% (or 16 million) of U.S. adults used prescription stimulants in the preceding year; 4.5% (or 11 million) used prescription stimulants appropriately (without misuse); 2.1% (or 5 million) misused prescription stimulants at least once; and 0.2% (or 0.4 million) had prescription stimulant use disorders.
Communities That Care program shows success in reducing substance use and behavioral issues in adolescents
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The CTC is a prevention planning and implementation system that trains community coalition is to assess their community’s needs, then select and use evidence-based programs and policies to reduce risk factors and enhance protective factors.
Study changes long-held concepts of cell decoding
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Scientists at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Intramural Research Program (IRP) have uncovered evidence that shows a more complex and elaborate role for the body's hard-working G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) than previously thought, suggesting a conceptual advance in the fields of biochemistry and pharmacology.
Study highlights how opioid receptors organize to block pain
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A NIDA-funded study explored how opioids such as morphine act within pain circuits in the brain and spinal cord, while attaching to receptors on the surface of nerve cells (neurons).
Non-psychoactive cannabinoid may enable drug addiction recovery
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Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive chemical found in marijuana, may help reduce the risk of drug and alcohol relapse.