![Science of Addiction cover](images/soacover_full.jpeg)
Preface
How Science Has Revolutionized the Understanding of Drug Addiction
Throughout much of the last century, scientists studying drug abuse labored in the shadows of powerful myths and misconceptions
about the nature of addiction. When science began to study addictive behavior in the 1930s, people addicted to drugs were thought
to be morally flawed and lacking in willpower. Those views shaped society's responses to drug abuse, treating it as a moral failing
rather than a health problem, which led to an emphasis on punitive rather than preventative and therapeutic actions. Today, thanks to
science, our views and our responses to drug abuse have changed dramatically. Groundbreaking discoveries about the brain have
revolutionized our understanding of drug addiction, enabling us to respond effectively to the problem.
As a result of scientific research, we know that addiction is a disease that affects both brain and behavior. We have identified many of
the biological and environmental factors and are beginning to search for the genetic variations that contribute to the development and
progression of the disease. Scientists use this knowledge to develop effective prevention and treatment approaches that reduce the toll drug
abuse takes on individuals, families, and communities.
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"Drug addiction is a brain disease that can be treated."
Nora D. Volkow, M.D.
Director
National Institute on Drug Abuse |
Despite these advances, many people today do not understand why individuals become addicted to drugs or how drugs change the brain
to foster compulsive drug abuse. This booklet aims to fill that knowledge gap by providing scientific information about the disease of drug
addiction, including the many harmful consequences of drug abuse and the basic approaches that have been developed to prevent and treat
the disease. At the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), we believe that increased understanding of the basics of addiction will empower
people to make informed choices in their own lives, adopt science-based policies and programs that reduce drug abuse and addiction in
their communities, and support scientific research that improves the Nation's well-being.
Nora D. Volkow, M.D.
Director
National Institute on Drug Abuse
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