When: March 15, 2007
Institute: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

One in four Americans has a family member struggling with addiction. In 2005, there were 23.2 million Americans who needed treatment for their illicit drug or alcohol abuse problem. Only about 10% received it despite the fact that research has shown that treatments for addiction help people stop abusing drugs and start leading productive lives.

In partnership with NIDA and NIAAA, HBO is launching the ADDICTION project, a series aimed at helping Americans understand addiction as a treatable brain disease and at spotlighting new medical advances that have illuminated our understanding of how the brain works. The project will include a 90-minute documentary, a supplementary 14-part series, a book, a DVD, and a Web site. The centerpiece film will debut Thursday, March 15, at 9:00 p.m. EST. A nationwide 30-city community outreach campaign will help connect viewers to the show and is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and coordinated by Join Together, Faces and Voices of Recovery, and the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America.

Next Steps
All segments will initially be offered during a free HBO preview weekend from March 15 to March 18 by participating cable providers.

To learn more, visit the HBO Web site dedicated to the ADDICTION project at http://www.hbo.com/addiction/index.html.