What's New at the National Institute on Drug Abuse
(06/2007)

NIDA NEWS RELEASES
NIDA Announces New Tools for Drug Abuse Treatment
Two new products designed to speed the adoption of science-based interventions into clinical practice are now available from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. These new "Blending Team" products are part of an expanding portfolio that includes the latest research findings on drug abuse approaches and interventions. Blending Teams are composed of NIDA researchers, community-based substance abuse treatment practitioners, and trainers from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network. In addition to the Blending Teams, NIDA sponsors a number of Blending conferences which are held periodically around the country to facilitate communication between researchers and treatment providers.
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The National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions showed that only eight percent of people identified as drug abusers and fewer than 40 percent of those diagnosed with drug dependence have ever received any kind of intervention or treatment.
View the press release.

MEETINGS
Pain, Opioids, and Addiction: An Urgent Problem for Doctors and Patients

Dr. Nora Volkow addresses the audience at the recent NIDA Pain meeting.

NIDA's first-ever public meeting on issues surrounding opiate pain relievers and their potential for addiction was a success, with more than 500 people in attendance at the Natcher Auditorium. Dr. Nora Volkow opened the conference with a discussion of research into pain and opioids as a NIDA priority. Speakers from around the country discussed the science behind opioid addiction, the development of a newer generation of pain relievers devoid of tolerance or dependence, real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rtfMRI) as a tool to allow patients to better manage their own pain, adolescent abuse of opoids, the benefits of opioid use when prescribed for cancer pain, and many other topics.
View the webcast of the meeting (Day 1).
View the webcast of the meeting (Day 2).

Dr. Nora Volkow



Dr. Jacques Normand

Drug Abuse and Risky Behaviors: The Evolving Dynamics of HIV/AIDS
NIDA's first-ever public meeting on the multiple ways that drug abuse and addiction affect HIV/AIDS and how research can inform public health policy was held on the NIH campus on May 8 and 9 with close to 500 people in attendance. Dr. Nora Volkow opened the conference and introduced Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who gave a brief overview of the current status of the successes, research challenges, and opportunities for addressing the evolving HIV/AIDS pandemic. Other speakers from around the country discussed the risk behaviors associated with both injection and noninjection drug abuse, how drugs of abuse alter brain function and impair decision making, and HIV prevention and treatment strategies for diverse groups.

The meeting was held in collaboration with the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the National Institute on Child Health and Human Development, and the National Institute of Mental Health.
View the webcast of the meeting (Day 1).
View the webcast of the meeting (Day 2).
View the press release.

PUBLICATIONS

Science & Practice Perspectives NIDA's peer-reviewed journal for drug abuse researchers and treatment providers is now being published twice a year. This doubling of frequency will enable NIDA to cover a broader array of research topics and contributors. You can view the latest issue, including the article "Imaging the Addicted Human Brain," coauthored by Dr. Volkow, along with Drs. Joanna Fowler, Linda Chang, and Cheryl Kassed. For more information about this publication please contact David Anderson. View the issue.

Ready for Distribution
Mass marketing of The Science of Addiction has begun, as enough copies are now in stock for distribution.
Visit this page to order or download.

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