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These are graphics of brain scans showing the changes that happen in the brain when a child is successful at achieving a reward. Areas of the brain that are most active are highlighted in red and yellow.

NIDA's Scientific Findings & Achievements of 2018

January 07, 2019
As we enter 2019, it is a good time to take stock of what NIDA accomplished over the past year. As always when I look back at the research being done by NIDA grantees and partners, I am amazed at the wealth of knowledge being created from our investments. Here I want to highlight just a few of the many outstanding developments in basic science, new therapeutics, and epidemiology and prevention research from the year that just ended. Read More.

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Recent Posts

Image of year changing from 2016-2017

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

January 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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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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Dr. Nora Volkow: Remarks and Video Highlights

APA 2015 meeting

About This Blog

Dr. Nora Volkow

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

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