Dear Journalist
We thank you for your interest in the vitally important issues of drug abuse and addiction.
Today, thanks to science, our views and responses to addiction have changed dramatically. After 30 years of research, as well as the development of exciting new imaging technologies, we now know that drug addiction is a disease of the brain that affects behavior– a disease that can respond to treatment.

A Message from the Director
As the Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), I am pleased to offer this guide to the important findings that are emerging as a result of research on addiction and its treatment. NIDA, part of the National Institutes of Health under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, supports most of the world's research on drug abuse and addiction, including basic and behavioral science research that addresses fundamental and essential questions relevant to drug abuse, ranging from its causes and consequences to its treatment and prevention.

The purpose of this guide is to give journalists fast and user-friendly access to the latest scientific information. In more than three decades as a researcher, I have seen the impact that science and health journalists have had in bringing scientific research to the public. It is through information that Americans gain hope and understanding. I have come to know many of you over the years and remain committed to releasing scientific information as quickly as possible for rapid dissemination to the public. Please keep this guide nearby as a useful tool and let us know how NIDA's public liaison staff can help you reach your information and deadline needs.

Nora D. Volkow, M.D.
Director
National Institute on Drug Abuse

NIDA's Public Information and Liaison Branch: NIDA's Link to the Media
We are committed to bringing timely, factual information on addiction and treatment to the press and public. NIDA's Public Information and Liaison Branch (PILB) is part of NIDA's Office of Science Policy and Communications. Linking scientists, the scientific community, and the media, PILB supports the rapid dissemination of research information to inform policy and to improve practice. NIDA's goal is to ensure that science – not ideology or anecdote – forms the foundation of public information on drug abuse and addiction.

Visit us online at www.drugabuse.gov or call the NIDA Press Office at 301-443-6245 for information and access to experts, research, news, and information.

This guide was developed by PILB as part of the Institute's mission to close the gap between the public's impressions about drug abuse and the knowledge gained from scientific research on addiction and substance abuse.

A PDF version is currently available for download:
Mediaguide_web.pdf (1.1 MB)