Addiction: “Drugs, Brains and Behavior” – Advancing Addiction Science and Practical Solutions
Leading the Search for Scientific Solutions
To address all aspects of drug abuse and its harmful consequences, NIDA’s research program ranges from basic studies of the addicted brain and behavior to health services research. NIDA’s research program develops prevention and treatment approaches and ensures they work in real-world settings. In this context, NIDA is strongly committed to developing a research portfolio that addresses the special vulnerabilities and health disparities that exist among ethnic minorities or that derive from gender differences.
Bringing Science to Real-World Settings
- National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN).
The CTN “road tests” research-based drug abuse treatments in community treatment programs around the country.
- Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies (CJ-DATS).Led by NIDA, CJ-DATS is a network of research centers, in partnership with criminal justice professionals, drug abuse treatment providers, and Federal agencies responsible for developing integrated treatment approaches for criminal justice offenders and testing them at multiple sites throughout the Nation.
Sharing Free Information With the Public
NIDA further increases the impact of its research on the problems of addiction by sharing free information about its findings with professional audiences and the general public. Special initiatives target students and teachers, designated populations, and ethnic groups.
NIDA’s Special Initiatives for Students, Teachers, and Parents
NIDA Goes Back to School – Targets grade school, middle school, and high school students and teachers.
Heads Up: Real News About Drugs and Your Body – A drug education series created by NIDA and SCHOLASTIC INC. for students in grades 6 to 12.
NIDA for Teens: The Science Behind Drug Abuse – An interactive Web site geared specifically for adolescents that contains age-appropriate facts on drugs, real stories about teens and drug abuse, games, take-home activities, and a Q&A forum with Dr. NIDA.
Publications on Prevention and Treatment Principles
Preventing Drug Use among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide for Parents, Educators, and Community Leaders - NIDA’s research-based guide for preventing drug abuse among children and adolescents provides 16 principles derived from effective drug abuse prevention research, and includes answers to questions on risk and protective factors, as well as community planning and implementation, to help prevention practitioners use research results to address drug abuse among children and adolescents in communities across the country.
Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide
guide summarizes the 13 principles of effective treatment, answers common questions, and describes types of treatment, providing examples of scientifically based and tested treatment components.
Principles of Drug Abuse Treatment for Criminal Justice Populations: A Research-Based Guide – NIDA’s research-based guide for treating drug abusers involved with the criminal justice system provides 13 essential treatment principles, and includes answers to frequently asked questions and resource information.