NIDA's Dr. Karen Skinner, standing, demonstrates interactive software on drug abuse at a NIDA workshop during Brain Awareness Week.In celebration of Brain Awareness Week, NIDA held a workshop on the biology of addiction for Washington, D.C., area teachers in March. NIDA Director Dr. Alan I. Leshner led the session, discussing the gap, or "disconnect," between public misconceptions and the scientific facts about drug abuse and addiction. Teachers can play an important role in disseminating accurate, science-based information on drug abuse to both students and the public, Dr. Leshner said. He gave an overview of the biology of addiction and urged participants to take the information back to their students. All the participants were given NIDA-developed educational materials on drug abuse and addiction to use as teaching aids.
The workshop took place as part of Brain Awareness Week, which was held under the auspices of the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, a nonprofit organization of neuroscientists headquartered in New York City.