Nora's Blog

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 Director's content on nida.nih.gov

World AIDS Day 2018

 |  World AIDS Day, is a good time to reflect on some of the spectacular successes of NIH-funded science at reducing the impact of HIV, as well as how lessons learned...

In Memoriam—Herbert Kleber

 |  With the passing of Herbert Kleber on October 5, the field of addiction research has lost a true giant—one of its biggest thinkers as well as one of the most...

Addressing America’s Fentanyl Crisis

 |  Every day, 91* Americans fatally overdose on an opioid drug. It may be a prescription analgesic or heroin—4-8 percent of people who misuse painkillers transition to heroin—but increasingly it is...

Rethinking How We Talk About Addiction

 |  People with substance use disorders and other mental health issues face greater stigma than those with other illnesses. Many of the addiction-related terms widely used in our society—even in the...

NIDA's 2016-2020 Strategic Plan

 |  Over the last four decades, NIDA-supported research has revolutionized our understanding of drug use and addiction, driving a new understanding of the neurobiological, genetic, epigenetic, social, and environmental factors that...

Listening to the Dead

 |  Guest blog by Bill Williams - a reminder of the devastating and incomprehensible experiences faced by families who are fighting the disease of addiction.

Addiction Is a Disease of Free Will

 |  When I was five or six years old, my grandfather—my mother's father—died of what I was always told was complications of heart disease. It was not until much later that...

The 2015 Prescription Drug Abuse Summit

 |  This event, which is the brainchild of Kentucky Congressman and House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers, has grown in attendance each year, successfully shining a light on this terrible public health...

Science Should Guide Marijuana Policy

 |  In a series of recent articles, The New York Times' editors presented a case for repealing the federal ban on marijuana, including the disproportionate impact of current marijuana laws on...

Increasing Diversity in Research

 |  Diversity enriches any workforce, and that is especially true of science. People with different backgrounds and experiences may think in different ways, produce different ideas and insights, and approach scientific...

National RX Drug Abuse Summit

 |  The Summit brings together people on all sides of the problem, including representatives from government agencies, law enforcement, and the treatment world.

Naloxone—A Potential Lifesaver

 |  Naloxone can reverse or block the effects of other opioids. It can very quickly restore normal respiration to a person whose breathing has slowed or stopped as a result of...

Addiction and Free Choice

 |  The recent death of Phillip Seymour Hoffman as a result of drug addiction has provoked many thoughtful, sympathetic responses in the media, from people in recovery who understand how hard...

National Drug Facts Week

 |  This week—January 27 through February 2—the fourth annual National Drug Facts Week. Every year since 2010, NIDA has sponsored this observance, during which schools and other community organizations host events...

Support for Basic Science

 |  In tough fiscal times, scientists from a wide range fields worry that their area of research will be disproportionately hurt. As the Director of NIDA, my job is to ensure...

National Recovery Month

 |  September is National Recovery Month-an annual recognition of the fact that millions of Americans suffer from addiction and other mental disorders, which can be successfully treated, allowing people to live...

Preventing HIV/AIDS in Vietnam

 |  In April of this year I visited Vietnam along with Jacques Normand, Director of NIDA’s HIV Research Program, to foster research collaborations between NIDA and Vietnamese scientists on issues of...

World Hepatitis Day

 |  Today is World Hepatitis Day, an annual event started by the World Hepatitis Alliance in 2008 to raise awareness about hepatitis in order to better prevent its spread and improve...

Past Messages from the Director

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2004