Twenty-five years ago, many people incorrectly viewed drug abuse as a character flaw. Today, thanks to the research accomplishments of hundreds of scientists, we have moved far beyond such simplistic ideologies to a better understanding of the complex biological, behavioral, social and public health aspects of drug abuse.
We now know that while initial experimentation with drugs may be voluntary, continued use actually changes the brain in fundamental and long-lasting ways. These changes trigger the compulsive drug-seeking behaviors that are the hallmarks of drug addiction.
Videocast Information
Videocasting is the method of broadcasting video and audio data over the World Wide Web (WWW). Videocast viewers must have access to the WWW on the Internet. Your computer must have a sound card and speakers installed. You must also have RealPlayer version 5.0 or higher on your computer and configured to work with the WWW browser (Netscape, Internet Explorer, etc). If you do not have RealPlayer, you may download a free copy from Real Networks. The latest version is RealPlayer G2.
To view the meeting, go to http://videocast.nih.gov/ram/nida092799.ram, on the NIH Videocasting site. This opens RealPlayer and you are ready to view the conference.