The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is the Federal focal point for research on drug abuse and addiction. Established in 1974, NIDA became part of the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, in October 1992. NIDA's mission is to lead the Nation in bringing the power of science to bear on drug abuse and addiction. In this regard, NIDA addresses the most fundamental and essential questions about drug abuse - from detecting and responding to emerging drug abuse trends and understanding how drugs work in the brain and body to developing and testing new treatment and prevention approaches. A comprehensive history of NIDA is available in the NIH Almanac
| 2007 |
 | NIDA released its first plain language booklet explaining the science behind addiction. "Drugs, Brains, & Behavior - The Science of Addiction" discusses the reasons people take drugs, why some people become addicted while others do not, how drugs work in the brain, and how addiction can be prevented and treated. Like diabetes, asthma or heart disease, drug addiction is a chronic brain disease that can be managed successfully. The booklet is designed to educate the public and reduce stigma surrounding drug addiction.
|
 | NIDA has joined with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and HBO to produce the documentary "Addiction," which explores many elements of drug and alcohol addiction through the eyes of those who are addicted and the insights of scientific experts working to better understand and treat this devastating disease.
|
| 2006 |
 | To date, NIDA has supported the development of four Blending Team products to disseminate research findings. Products include materials on treatment protocols using buprenorphine, motivational interviewing, and the Addiction Severity Index for treatment planning.
|
 | NIDA launches its "Principles of Drug Abuse Treatment for Criminal Justice Populations: A Research Based Guide," summarizing proven components for successfully treating drug abusers who have entered the criminal justice system.
|
| 2005 |
 | NIDA launches the "Drug Abuse and HIV: Learn the Link" campaign to educate young people about the linkages between substance abuse and HIV infection.
|
| 2003 |
 |
NIDA releases Preventing Drug Abuse among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide for Parents, Teachers and Educators, Second Edition, adding two new prevention principles to its popular first release and offering an In Brief edition and laminated set of Pocket Principles. |
 | As a part of the NIDA Goes Back to School initiative NIDA launches its interactive Web site, "NIDA for Teens: The Science Behind Drug Abuse," targeting teens age 11-15. Content is based partly on the highly successful Heads Up campaign that reaches more than 8 million younger students each year.
|
|
NIDA launches it Blending Initiative in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to accelerate the dissemination of research-based drug abuse treatment findings into community-based practice. |
| 2002 |
 |
NIDA releases a new elementary school curriculum "Brain Power! The NIDA Junior Scientist Program," for use in second- and third-grade classrooms. |
 |
NIDA teams with Scholastic, a leading provider of educational materials for children and teachers, in launching a project to bring science-based information about drug abuse to millions of U.S. school children. |
 |
NIDA releases Principles of HIV Prevention in Drug-Using Populations: A Research-Based Guide, to help communities prevent the spread of HIV. |
| 2000 |
| |
NIDA launches its Blending conference series, "Blending Clinical Practice and Research: Forging Partnerships to Enhance Drug Addiction Treatment Research." |
 |
NIDA distributes its Clinical Toolbox, a collection
of the latest comprehensive science-based publications and other materials on drug addiction and its treatment, to the nearly 12,000 drug treatment programs nationwide. |
| 1999 |
 |
NIDA launches the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network to rapidly and efficiently test the effectiveness of behavioral and pharmacological treatments in real-life settings. |
| 1998 |
| |
NIDA produces and distributes "NIDA Goes to School," a science education package on drugs of abuse for students in grades five through nine. |
| 1997 |
| |
NIDA launches the annual PRISM awards for accurate depiction of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco in feature films and television productions. |
