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. NIDA also strives to rapidly and
effectively disseminate research results to various
stakeholders to improve prevention and treatment practices
in real-world settings.
Recent scientific advances have revolutionized our understanding of drug abuse and addiction. We now know, for
example, that drug addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease that usually begins in adolescence, and that drugs of
abuse can cause long-lasting changes in brain structure and function. Some of these changes can persist long
after drug use stops. Based on these data, it is clear that drug addiction is a brain disease, expressed in the form
of compulsive behaviors. The good news is that research also shows that addiction is both preventable and
treatable.
NIDA supports most of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. Our mission
encompasses research on all drugs of abuse, both legal and illegal, except research with a primary focus on
alcohol. Priority areas of research for NIDA include:
- Using new technologies, such as brain imaging, to further our understanding of brain and behavioral
development, addiction, and its consequences.
- Uncovering genetic and environmental factors that predict vulnerability to addiction and treatment
response.
- Addressing health disparities and vulnerabilities among different populations (e.g., adolescent, minority,
and elderly populations).
- Applying knowledge gained from basic and cognitive neuroscience to develop improved prevention and
treatment strategies.
- Developing and testing new medications and behavioral therapies to treat addiction.
- Studying the links between addiction and other diseases, including HIV/AIDS and mental disorders.
Major NIDA Accomplishments
Contributing to a steady decline in drug use among teens. Since the peak years of the mid-1990's, drug
abuse has declined substantially and continues to do so. In fact, according to NIDA's 2006 Monitoring the Future
Survey of 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students, approximately 800,000 fewer young people are using drugs today
than just five years ago– an impressive 23 percent reduction.
Identifying the molecular sites and systems in the brain where every major drug of abuse has its effect.
Such discoveries have led to the development and approval of nicotine replacement therapies for cigarette
smoking cessation and new medications like buprenorphine, now prescribed by physicians in office settings, for
opiate addiction.
Discovering a new communications network that opens the way to novel medical therapies. NIDAsupported
research was pivotal to the discovery of a cannabinoid system distributed throughout the brain and body
and composed of the body's own compounds chemically related to marijuana's active ingredient. This network
promises new and novel interventions for a range of diseases and conditions, including: addiction, obesity, pain,
osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, and anxiety disorders.
Demonstrating that addiction is a treatable disease. Medications and behavioral therapies can provide longlasting
benefits for people trying to overcome addiction, especially when used together. Addiction treatment
promotes continued abstinence, which can reverse some of the detrimental brain changes caused by addiction, as
shown in pioneering imaging studies. Successful drug abuse treatment also reduces crime and other societal
costs, including health costs, now in the billions.
Optimizing research findings to create individually tailored treatments. Researchers are taking advantage of
ongoing discoveries from the Human Genome Project, identifying genetic markers of complex disorders like
addiction. Now, gene variants are being discovered that can predict who will respond to a medication and who will
not. These breakthroughs herald a new era of individualized therapies that will optimize outcomes, promote costefficiency,
and relieve suffering.
Decreasing the spread of HIV. Through the development of treatments for injection drug use (IDU), NIDA has
contributed to the decline in IDU-associated HIV infections. Innovative community-based research shows that drug
abuse treatment reduces risk behaviors leading to HIV transmission; thus, drug abuse treatment is HIV/AIDS
prevention.
Changing the course of drug abuse treatment in this country. NIDA engages in myriad efforts to "translate"
the results of basic and clinical research for real-world use. Our goal is to get research-based treatments into the
hands of providers in community treatment centers, jails, and physicians' offices. To that end, NIDA has
established collaborative networks of researchers and practitioners, Federal Agencies, and State Substance
Abuse Directors to integrate research findings into drug abuse treatment settings nationwide.