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Taking Stock of NIDA’s Achievements and Looking to the Future

January 19, 2017
The need for better substance use disorder treatments, better diagnostic methods, and better prevention strategies has never been greater. The beginning of a new year gives us an opportunity to take stock of all we have recently accomplished toward meeting these scientific goals, as well as to set our sights on the challenges facing us ahead. Read More.

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Recent Posts

Image of marijuana plants

As Some States Implement New Marijuana Laws, Science Should Guide Public Health Policy

December 2016
After the election on November 8, marijuana is now or will soon be legal for adult recreational use in eight states plus the District of Columbia. Careful thought should be given to creating regulatory frameworks that prioritize public health. Science needs to be the guide. Read More.

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World AIDS day graphic

Syringe-Exchange Programs Are Part of Effective HIV Prevention

December 2016
One of the best available strategies for reducing the spread of HIV among drug users is syringe-exchange programs (also called syringe service programs); their effectiveness has been proven through abundant research. Read More.

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Addiction in America

The Surgeon General’s Report: Facing Addiction in America

November 2016
Today marks, I hope, another turning point in our country’s health, as Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health. It is the first such report released by the Surgeon General on the health consequences alcohol and drug misuse Read More.

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The word addiction in bold on a printed dictionary page

Rethinking How We Talk About Addiction

October 2016
People with substance use disorders and other mental health issues face greater stigma than those with other illnesses. Many of the addiction-related terms widely used in our society—even in the addiction field—retain an implicit moral judgment and subtly frame drug problems as transgressions worthy of punishment. Read More.

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Image of a stethoscope on a pregnant woman

Medical Marijuana Might Not Be a Safe Nausea Solution for Pregnant Women

September 2016
Read More.

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ABCD logo

Participant Recruitment Now Underway for Landmark Study on Adolescents

September 2016
The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, which has been in the planning phase for just under a year, is now recruiting more than 10,000 9- and 10-year-olds at 19 research sites across the United States, and will follow these young people for a decade, through their early adulthood. Read More.

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Responsibly and Sensitively Addressing Chronic Pain Amid an Opioid Crisis

September 2016
Last week, the U.S. Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, sent a personal letter to more than 2.3 million health care practitioners and public health leaders, seeking their help to address the prescription opioid crisis. Read More.

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Dictionary entry for the word pain

Psychiatrists Should Take a More Active Role in Treating Pain

June 2016
The recommendation to move away from opioids as the first line of treating many types of chronic noncancer pain has generated an understandable outcry from some pain patients who fear that medications they need will no longer be available to them. Read More.

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Probuphine

Probuphine: A Game-Changer in Fighting Opioid Dependence

May 2016
Medications like buprenorphine and methadone have revolutionized the treatment of people with opioid use disorder, including those with severe disorders (addiction). Read More.

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Photo of e-cigs showing their variety

New Regulations on Flavored Tobacco Products and e-Cigarettes Will Protect Public Health

May 2016
Despite great successes in reducing tobacco use over the past five decades, smoking leads to more than 480,000 deaths in the United States annually and remains the number-one preventable cause of sickness and mortality. Unfortunately, a new generation of young Americans is being introduced to tobacco via flavored tobacco products (small cigars, hookahs) and e-cigarettes, which until now have been subject to none of the federal oversight that apply to cigarettes. Read More.

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About This Blog

Dr. Nora Volkow

Here I highlight important work being done at NIDA and other news related to the science of drug abuse and addiction.
—Dr. Nora Volkow, Director

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Dr. Nora Volkow: Video Highlights

NIDA Director, Dr. Nora D. Volkow Videos

  • National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA): Quality Talks, October 2016
    Treating Addiction Within the Health Care System
    Watch video (18:51)
  • APA TV, May 2016
    APA TV chats with Dr. Nora Volkow, the Director of NIDA to hear about her lecture on drug abuse and the opioid epidemic.
    Watch video (3:20)
  • Kentucky Educational Television, May 2016
    One to One with Bill Goodman: Dr. Nora Volkow
    Watch video (27:41)
  • TEDMED, January 2015
    Why do our brains get addicted?
    Watch video (16:23)
  • The World Science Festival, May 2013
    Meet Pioneer in Science, Dr. Nora Volkow
    Watch video (5:44)
  • Rockburn Presents, November 2012
    Dr. Nora Volkow
    Watch video (29:32)
  • Brookhaven National Laboratory WBNL Video, October 2012
    Chemistry celebration: FDG: Contribution to Our Understanding of Addiction
    Watch video (43:05)
  • CBS 60 Minutes, April 2012
    Hooked: Why Bad Habits Are Hard to Break 
    Watch video (13:31)
  • Science Times, June 2011
    Dr. Nora Volkow
    Watch video (8:19)