Two new publications that provide research-based information on nicotine addiction were released at NIDA's Addicted to Nicotine Conference in July.

"Nicotine Addiction," an eight-page report, provides the latest information about nicotine and its addictive properties, including:

• how nicotine in tobacco smoke and chewing tobacco affects the body;

• how nicotine tolerance develops over time;

• the medical consequences of nicotine use;

• gender differences in nicotine sensitivity; and

• the risks of smoking during pregnancy.

NIDA Director Dr. Alan I. Leshner presents the new NIDA publication, "Nicotine Addiction," to conference participants.

Current treatments for nicotine addiction, including nicotine replacements, behavioral therapies, and a new non-nicotine prescription drug, also are discussed. A glossary and list of resources for further information are included. "Nicotine Addiction" is part of the NIDA Research Report series. "The Brain's Response to Nicotine" is a new addition to NIDA's award-winning Mind Over Matter magazine series. The series is designed to teach students in grades 5 through 9 how specific drugs affect the brain. The full-color minimagazine on nicotine describes how tobacco smoke delivers nicotine to the brain, how nicotine disrupts brain function, and why it is so difficult for people to stop smoking. The magazine unfolds into an 11-by-23-inch poster displaying an image of the nerve cells involved in pain and touch.

Both publications can be downloaded from NIDA's home page on the World Wide Web at www.nida.nih.gov. Copies are available from the National Clearinghouse on Alcohol and Drug Information, P.O. Box 2345, Rockville, MD 20847-2345, (800) 729-6686 or (301) 468-2600, TDD number: (800) 487-4889, fax: (301) 468-6433, e-mail: info@health.org.